Amtrak Reservation and Ticketing System Outage

On Sunday, April 17, 2011, Amtrak’s Reservation and Ticketing system will undergo a major upgrade and will not be available for a portion of the day. During this period, Amtrak will have very limited ability to issue tickets, provide train status information, and create or modify reservations. Amtrak will not be able to accept credit card payments via the Internet, by telephone, or travel agency outlets and will have only limited ability at station ticket counters. In addition, Quik-Trak kiosks will be unavailable during this period. Although we are taking measures to minimize the impact of this upgrade on your travel plans, we ask that you please arrange to purchase and pick up your tickets before Sunday.

Severe Storm Timeline

Here we go again, another batch of energy aloft (jet stream disturbance) brings severe weather threats Friday and Saturday. Read more

Qantas Passengers Face Post-Easter delays

QANTAS engineers overwhelmingly voted to take industrial action in pursuit of wage and job security claims. Read more

Japan Nuclear Disaster Update

After over a month downplaying the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear reactors in Japan, officials finally upgraded the disaster to a level 7 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. Read more

The Latest on Travel in Japan

We Continue to Monitor Conditions in Japan

Japan is one of the most seismically active places in the world. Tokyo and areas to the Northeast continue to experience strong aftershocks related to the March 11 earthquake. Aftershocks following an earthquake of this magnitude can be expected to continue for more than a year. Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from an earthquake. See the Embassy Web Site for detailed information and earthquake safety.

International travelers

Make sure you sign your passport, fill in the emergency info page & enroll in STEP before going abroad.

Did You Know?

When exploring expense management technology, look no further than Travel-On. Our goal is to provide solutions that give you the greatest level of flexibility and choice, and our technology allows us to integrate with many different expense management tools. If you currently have an expense management product in place, ask your Travel-On account manager about how we can integrate travel to improve processes, achieve greater efficiencies, and increase savings. If you are looking for an expense management solution, your Travel-On account manager will be happy to introduce you to a number of top-tier providers and assist you through the evaluation process. to find the best solution for your needs.

BA Cabin Crew Call Off Threat of Bank Holiday Strikes

British Airways' cabin crew have lifted the threat of strikes over the Easter and the Royal Wedding bank holidays. Read more

Boeing 737s Around the World Face New Scrutiny

The governments of Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and others ordered airlines to beef up inspections. Scandinavian airline SAS is performing similar checks on some of its 737s. Qantas Airlines in Australia is checking four of its planes and Air New Zealand is looking at 15. Airlines said the inspections have not disrupted air travel. Read more

FAA to Boost Midnight Staffing at 27 Airport Towers

The Federal Aviation Administration will add an additional air traffic controller to the midnight shift at 27 U.S. airports that currently are staffed with only one controller during that time, the FAA says in a statement out this afternoon. Read more

Frontier Airlines Cuts Change Fee, Discounts Fees for Checking Bags

Frontier Airlines is introducing fee reductions and policy changes effective for tickets purchased on or after April 13, 2011. Read more

New Terminal Now Open at San Francisco

Terminal 2, the new home for American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic opened Apr 14. Check out terminal features, facts, photos, and who made the cupcakes for opening day. Read more

Renovated SFO Terminal Grabs LEED Gold

Airline Trends: Austrian Airlines Starts Its Own Branded Airport Taxi Service

In an effort to manage more parts of the passenger journey and capture much needed ancillary revenues in the process, airlines are increasingly cross-selling services such as hotel reservations, car rental bookings and travel insurance to passengers. Austrian Airlines is taking this approach a step further and recently has launched its own branded taxi service in Vienna. Read more

BA to Undergo Rebranding

British Airways is to relaunch its brand later this year following its merger with Iberia. Details of the rebranding will be kept under wraps till autumn, but the national carrier is hoping the campaign will put the airline back on the map as one of the world’s iconic brands. Read more

Air India Passengers Can Now Use Web Check-in

Passengers traveling on Air India, can now avail of the Web Check-in (WCI) facility. The passenger has to visit the Air India web site, www.airindia.in and go to the web check-in page of the “Manage your Trip” option and follow the user-friendly guide. Read more

The Real Reason Your Flight Was Cancelled

The Top 10 Stress-Free Airports

Wait for my flight while sitting outside under the palms relaxing with a glass of wine? Really? Hidden around the country, sometimes in plain sight, are airports that are working hard to give travelers a pleasant and even (dare we say it?) enjoyable travel experience. Read more

From Mobile Apps to Management Sites: Must-Have Tech Tools for Meetings Planners

What’s considered to be among the best, from social media programs and mobile apps to event management software, services and sites? Read more

U.S. High-Speed Rail Program Hit by Deep Budget Cuts

President Barack Obama's plan for a national high-speed rail network suffered a serious setback as a result of the fight over budget cuts. No money will be allocated for high-speed rail projects for the remainder of 2011. Read more

Top 10 U.S. Cities for New Hotel Rooms

Which U.S. destinations have the most hotel rooms currently under construction? Hint: It's not Las Vegas, which has the most hotel rooms open in the USA. Read more

Travel-On/Travel Place is Proud to Support Operation Homefront

Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance: food, auto and car repairs, baby supplies, emergency travel, etc. to families of deployed and wounded service members (many who have an average annual salary of $32,000).

Please help us thank and support our local military families in need by making a donation. We will match contributions made by our clients and employees. Be sure to email us your donation receipt.