Travel-On Travel Industry News

April 22. 2011

WHO Reports Measles Outbreaks in European Countries

Airfares to Europe are quite enticing at the moment, but traveling to that continent could introduce you to more than just the sights. Many European countries are dealing with measles outbreaks according to information released by the World Health Organization on Wednesday. Read more

GOING GREEN

In honor of Earth Day, we have gathered representative highlights of travel-related "green" news.

Airlines Increasingly Sharing Space in U.S. Airports

Airlines, once jealous of their place in the nation's airports, are learning to share. Airports increasingly are setting up common-use areas inside their terminals, in which several competing airlines must share agent counters and gates for domestic flights instead of having their own areas or even concourses. Read more

The 10 Greenest European Cities

While more and more cities are quickly realizing the benefits of implementing eco-friendly sustainable practices in preparation for the future, a few select cities are way ahead of the pack. Read more

Aviation Fuel from Non-Edible Plant Soars

Several airlines have now successfully tested biofuel made from the little known, non-edible plant Jatropha. Japan Airlines, Air New Zealand, Continental, Brazil’s TAM Airlines and most recently the Mexican carrier Interjet, in cooperation with European manufacturer Airbus, have flown without problems on fuel from this weed-like plant, which grows on land otherwise unusable for farming. Read more

7 Must-Have Phone Apps for the Green Traveler

Forget the atlas, the train schedule, the guidebook, and the local restaurant guide: All you need to travel green in 2011 is your smartphone -- and a few handy apps. Read more

Mobile Boarding Passes = Donations

For every customer that uses a mobile boarding pass on Earth Day, April 22, United will donate $1 to Protect an Acre, which works to curb a leading cause of climate change—tropical deforestation—while preserving the livelihoods of local communities and the natural habitats of threatened species. And for every traveler who uses CO’s Mobile App, United will double the contribution to $2.

Admiring the Earth from 30,000 Feet and Working to Protect It

At United Continental Holdings, we are committed to leading commercial aviation as an environmentally responsible company by taking actions today that shape an environmentally sustainable future, while continuing to comply with applicable laws and regulations. Read more

Travel Green with Amtrak

Recognized as one of the more environmentally friendly modes of transportation, Amtrak strives for a greener passenger rail with practices and tactics for improved fuel and energy efficiency. Read more

Hotels Move Beyond Towel Reuse, Donate Linens to Animal Shelters

A new responsible hospitality-themed nonprofit is working with hotels to build and support a new donation program that would encourages hoteliers to donate linens and towels to needy animal shelters. Read more

Travelers Ditch Plastic Water Bottles and Plastic Bags

San Francisco International's flashy Terminal 2, which reopened last week after a major overhaul, encourages passengers to refill their own water bottles at post-security "hydration stations" dispensing city tap water from "pristine Sierra snowmelt. Read more

Green Meetings and Events - Resources to Help You Plan a Green Meeting

How to Choose A Green Venue, Use Technology, 10 Key Ways to Go Green. Read more

Talk to the Pros, Event Strategies and More

Social Media is Under-Used Tool for Travel Managers

For a travel manager, this is a “great opportunity” to engage with the traveller. Travel managers can also use social media to engage with their travellers in more inventive ways... For example, using location-based software a traveller could be told where the nearest in-policy restaurant is at dinner time, and if there are any colleagues nearby. Read more

Did You Know?

Travel-On can be a part of your social media strategy to improve communications with your travelers. We would love the opportunity to discuss how social media can play a part in your travel program for improved communication, traveler information and feedback, emergency services, and more. Please contact your Travel-On account manager to discuss ways we can collaborate on the social media in your travel program.

OTHER NEWS

DOT to airlines: No hidden fees

Call it the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights, Version 2.0. The Department of Transportation issued a second set of rules Wednesday to address a litany of passenger gripes, including the bane of modern air travelers' existence: hidden fees for bags, meals, pillows and reservation changes. Read more

Airfares Going Up Another $10

Late Tuesday, Southwest Airlines raised all of its round-trip fares by $10. Delta (DAL, Fortune 500) initiated this latest round of price increases on Monday, and as of midday Wednesday American Airlines (AMR, Fortune 500), JetBlue (JBLU) and United Airlines (UAL) had matched it. Read more

The Latest Airline Up-Sell: Direct Flights

The next time you book a connecting flight, keep your cellphone at hand with the ringer as loud as it’ll go — you could get a call for a cheap up-sell on a direct flight. Read more

Delta Allows Passengers to Track Bags

Travelers can find out the status of their bag online or at kiosks. There they can get information such as whether the bag has been loaded onto the plane. Read more

Peanuts on Planes Protected by Law

Packets of peanuts are in no danger of disappearing completely from airplanes. In a nutshell, there's a law protecting them. Read more

Airfare Bait and Switch?

It happens fairly frequently – maybe one in every 20 searches or more. A travel website shows you the lowest price for air travel, and when you click to buy, gosh darn, the price just went up. Read more

Roadblocks Remain in Global Travel Management

Not every company globally is structured to be able to accept and absorb a global travel program. Technology is also a roadblock to global efforts. Read more

Air Contract Negotiations: Factor in Traveler Dissatisfaction

It’s almost a given that business travelers are less than enthusiastic about flying. Read more

2 D.C. Airports Offer Free Internet for Travelers

Travelers now have free wireless Internet access at Reagan National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Read more

Can You Really Travel Hand-luggage Only?

Yes you can – you just need to get clever with your packing. Read more

Out of Quarters? D.C. Offers Mobile Alternative to Parking Meters

The D.C. Department of Transportation and Parkmobile unveiled a new program Tuesday that soon will allow drivers to use smartphones to pay at the roughly 17,000 street meters throughout the city. Read more

US Scrapping 'Cascading' Terror Alerts

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will unveil a new system aimed at highlighting "specific imminent threats" to replace the five color-coded terror alerts. Read more

American to Shed 'At Least 25' MD-80s Amid $431M Q1 Loss

American Airlines parent AMR blamed rising fuel costs in reporting a $436 million loss for the first quarter of 2011. Read more

Airline Turns to Kung Fu to Thwart Unruly Fliers

Hong Kong Airlines is asking its flight crews to learn a form of kung fu, something the carrier hopes will help its staff deal with drunk and unruly passengers. Read more

Connect by Hertz Expands One-Way Car Sharing Program

Mark P. Frissora, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hertz, said, "Car sharing customers want the flexibility to pick up and drop off at different locations and Connect by Hertz is the first major car sharing company to offer this service. Members will be able to drive a car to or from the NYC-area airports at prices which beat limousine and taxi service. Read more

RMA Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation Wins Two Major Awards in the Same Year!

RMA now holds the distinction of winning the large operator of the year at the industry’s two major trade shows in the same year. Read more

RMA offers luxury hybrid vehicles.

Hilton Goes for 'Timeless' Look in New Designs for Lobby, Rooms

Hilton Hotels & Resorts unveiled new lobby and room designs Tuesday for its flag brand of hotels, becoming the latest upscale, full-service chain to adopt a modern, streamlined appearance and provide more technology options for laptop-toting road warriors. Read more

How to Spot A Fake Hotel Review

While there is no completely fool-proof method to determine which reviews are fake, here are some tips that may help. Read more

Hyatt Providing E-Folio Data Through MasterCard

Hyatt Hotels Corp. has joined MasterCard's electronic folio program and is providing corporations with enhanced data detailing room charges, taxes, meals and other itemized fees that can be incorporated directly into expense management systems. Read more

U.S. Bank Unveils New Payments Tool and Mobile App

U.S. Bank has introduced a new payment analytics tool, Bank Payment Analytics, that allows clients to monitor 100% of their corporate card transactions to identify and minimize misuse and abuse proactively by flagging rule violations and linking unrelated events that together represent an effort to work around corporate standards. Read more


April 22. 2011 WHO Reports Measles Outbreaks in European Countries Airfares to Europe are quite enticing at the moment, but traveling to that continent could introduce you to more than just the sights. Many European countries are dealing with measles outbreaks according to information released by the World Health Organization on Wednesday. Read more GOING GREEN In honor of Earth Day, we have gathered representative highlights of travel-related "green" news. Airlines Increasingly Sharing Space in U.S. Airports Airlines, once jealous of their place in the nation's airports, are learning to share. Airports increasingly are setting up common-use areas inside their terminals, in which several competing airlines must share agent counters and gates for domestic flights instead of having their own areas or even concourses. Read more The 10 Greenest European Cities While more and more cities are quickly realizing the benefits of implementing eco-friendly sustainable practices in preparation for the future, a few select cities are way ahead of the pack. Read more Aviation Fuel from Non-Edible Plant Soars Several airlines have now successfully tested biofuel made from the little known, non-edible plant Jatropha. Japan Airlines, Air New Zealand, Continental, Brazil’s TAM Airlines and most recently the Mexican carrier Interjet, in cooperation with European manufacturer Airbus, have flown without problems on fuel from this weed-like plant, which grows on land otherwise unusable for farming. Read more 7 Must-Have Phone Apps for the Green Traveler Forget the atlas, the train schedule, the guidebook, and the local restaurant guide: All you need to travel green in 2011 is your smartphone -- and a few handy apps. Read more Mobile Boarding Passes = Donations For every customer that uses a mobile boarding pass on Earth Day, April 22, United will donate $1 to Protect an Acre, which works to curb a leading cause of climate change—tropical deforestation—while preserving the livelihoods of local communities and the natural habitats of threatened species. And for every traveler who uses CO’s Mobile App, United will double the contribution to $2. Admiring the Earth from 30,000 Feet and Working to Protect It At United Continental Holdings, we are committed to leading commercial aviation as an environmentally responsible company by taking actions today that shape an environmentally sustainable future, while continuing to comply with applicable laws and regulations. Read more Travel Green with Amtrak Recognized as one of the more environmentally friendly modes of transportation, Amtrak strives for a greener passenger rail with practices and tactics for improved fuel and energy efficiency. Read more Hotels Move Beyond Towel Reuse, Donate Linens to Animal Shelters A new responsible hospitality-themed nonprofit is working with hotels to build and support a new donation program that would encourages hoteliers to donate linens and towels to needy animal shelters. Read more Travelers Ditch Plastic Water Bottles and Plastic Bags San Francisco International's flashy Terminal 2, which reopened last week after a major overhaul, encourages passengers to refill their own water bottles at post-security "hydration stations" dispensing city tap water from "pristine Sierra snowmelt. Read more Green Meetings and Events - Resources to Help You Plan a Green Meeting How to Choose A Green Venue, Use Technology, 10 Key Ways to Go Green. Read more Talk to the Pros, Event Strategies and More Social Media is Under-Used Tool for Travel Managers For a travel manager, this is a “great opportunity” to engage with the traveller. Travel managers can also use social media to engage with their travellers in more inventive ways... For example, using location-based software a traveller could be told where the nearest in-policy restaurant is at dinner time, and if there are any colleagues nearby. Read more Did You Know? Travel-On can be a part of your social media strategy to improve communications with your travelers. We would love the opportunity to discuss how social media can play a part in your travel program for improved communication, traveler information and feedback, emergency services, and more. Please contact your Travel-On account manager to discuss ways we can collaborate on the social media in your travel program. OTHER NEWS DOT to airlines: No hidden fees Call it the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights, Version 2.0. The Department of Transportation issued a second set of rules Wednesday to address a litany of passenger gripes, including the bane of modern air travelers' existence: hidden fees for bags, meals, pillows and reservation changes. Read more Airfares Going Up Another $10 Late Tuesday, Southwest Airlines raised all of its round-trip fares by $10. Delta (DAL, Fortune 500) initiated this latest round of price increases on Monday, and as of midday Wednesday American Airlines (AMR, Fortune 500), JetBlue (JBLU) and United Airlines (UAL) had matched it. Read more The Latest Airline Up-Sell: Direct Flights The next time you book a connecting flight, keep your cellphone at hand with the ringer as loud as it’ll go — you could get a call for a cheap up-sell on a direct flight. Read more Delta Allows Passengers to Track Bags Travelers can find out the status of their bag online or at kiosks. There they can get information such as whether the bag has been loaded onto the plane. Read more Peanuts on Planes Protected by Law Packets of peanuts are in no danger of disappearing completely from airplanes. In a nutshell, there's a law protecting them. Read more Airfare Bait and Switch? It happens fairly frequently – maybe one in every 20 searches or more. A travel website shows you the lowest price for air travel, and when you click to buy, gosh darn, the price just went up. Read more Roadblocks Remain in Global Travel Management Not every company globally is structured to be able to accept and absorb a global travel program. Technology is also a roadblock to global efforts. Read more Air Contract Negotiations: Factor in Traveler Dissatisfaction It’s almost a given that business travelers are less than enthusiastic about flying. Read more 2 D.C. Airports Offer Free Internet for Travelers Travelers now have free wireless Internet access at Reagan National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Read more Can You Really Travel Hand-luggage Only? Yes you can – you just need to get clever with your packing. Read more Out of Quarters? D.C. Offers Mobile Alternative to Parking Meters The D.C. Department of Transportation and Parkmobile unveiled a new program Tuesday that soon will allow drivers to use smartphones to pay at the roughly 17,000 street meters throughout the city. Read more US Scrapping 'Cascading' Terror Alerts Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will unveil a new system aimed at highlighting "specific imminent threats" to replace the five color-coded terror alerts. Read more American to Shed 'At Least 25' MD-80s Amid $431M Q1 Loss American Airlines parent AMR blamed rising fuel costs in reporting a $436 million loss for the first quarter of 2011. Read more Airline Turns to Kung Fu to Thwart Unruly Fliers Hong Kong Airlines is asking its flight crews to learn a form of kung fu, something the carrier hopes will help its staff deal with drunk and unruly passengers. Read more Connect by Hertz Expands One-Way Car Sharing Program Mark P. Frissora, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hertz, said, "Car sharing customers want the flexibility to pick up and drop off at different locations and Connect by Hertz is the first major car sharing company to offer this service. Members will be able to drive a car to or from the NYC-area airports at prices which beat limousine and taxi service. Read more RMA Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation Wins Two Major Awards in the Same Year! RMA now holds the distinction of winning the large operator of the year at the industry’s two major trade shows in the same year. Read more RMA offers luxury hybrid vehicles. Hilton Goes for 'Timeless' Look in New Designs for Lobby, Rooms Hilton Hotels & Resorts unveiled new lobby and room designs Tuesday for its flag brand of hotels, becoming the latest upscale, full-service chain to adopt a modern, streamlined appearance and provide more technology options for laptop-toting road warriors. Read more How to Spot A Fake Hotel Review While there is no completely fool-proof method to determine which reviews are fake, here are some tips that may help. Read more Hyatt Providing E-Folio Data Through MasterCard Hyatt Hotels Corp. has joined MasterCard's electronic folio program and is providing corporations with enhanced data detailing room charges, taxes, meals and other itemized fees that can be incorporated directly into expense management systems. Read more U.S. Bank Unveils New Payments Tool and Mobile App U.S. Bank has introduced a new payment analytics tool, Bank Payment Analytics, that allows clients to monitor 100% of their corporate card transactions to identify and minimize misuse and abuse proactively by flagging rule violations and linking unrelated events that together represent an effort to work around corporate standards. 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. Throughout Travel-On, our employees are M.A.D ( Making A Difference) to our clients. Many of you have noticed and have told us just how M.A.D they are. Recently, Pam Davies from Travel-On Meeting Travel Team received this note from a client: " Pam Davies has been giving me with my business travel arrangements to the mainland. We’re situated in a unique place where travel is a bit of a challenge in consideration of time differences and financial resources available. Pam has walked the second mile in accommodating me and the people who are sponsoring my trip by diligently searching for and not giving up working beyond her work hours to find a reasonable flight itinerary for all stakeholders involved. Her warm and friendly ways have also made this effort seamless and less frustrated for her customers. There will be no hesitation to offer others a good word about the travel assistance that Pam has given to me through Travel-On services. " Submit your feedback BUSINESS TRAVEL Communicate Clearly: 10 Tips for Meetings Success Verizon Wireless Offers Tips for Traveling Overseas to Users Top 10 Ways to Deal with a Slow Internet Connection While Traveling 5 Tips for Choosing an Air Miles Credit Card Travel Gear: Sleeptracker TRAVEL-ON RECENT WEBINARS Duty of Care webinar (November 17, 2010) Mobile Webinar (October 21, 2010) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) US DOS Travel Warnings TRAVEL WARNINGS / ALERTS Burkina Faso 04/19/2011 Nigeria 04/15/2011 Cote D'Ivoire 04/14/2011 WORLD INTEL HOT SPOTS HOT SPOTS as of today. Worldwide events at a glance. Details LEISURE TRAVEL VIEW FEATURED SPECIALS CALL TRAVEL PLACE NOW FOR YOUR HOLIDAY TRAVEL PLANS! Bethesda: 301-656-4060 Potomac: 240-387-4160 Beltsville: 240-387-4633 Manassas: 703-368-8757 (Travel Place is the leisure travel division of Travel-On.) VIDEO OF THE WEEK Electronic Devices Could Cause Plane Crash
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