Travel-On Travel Industry News

07-02-2011

Travel-On / Travel Place will be closed on Monday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day.

During this time, please call our after hours emergency travel helpline number listed on your itinerary for assistance with your travel plans.

Have a happy and safe holiday!

BWI Travelers: BW Parkway Closed After Reports Of Shots Fired

Maryland State Police have shut down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway at the intersection of Interstate 195 after receiving reports of shots being fired at vehicles along the highway.Sky Team 11 Capt. Roy Taylor said northbound 295 was closed at I-195 and that southbound 295 was closed at Nursery Road.

Interstate 195 is the access road to get to BWI Marshall Airport. The Maryland State Highway Administration said motorists heading to the airport can access I-195 via I-95, or they can reach the airport via I-97.The I-695 ramp to southbound MD 295 was also closed.

Which Airline Has the Best Business Class Seat?

Offerings range from the so-called “cradle seats” to lie-flat beds. Some face forward, some backward. Some allow you to talk to your neighbor and some do not. Some recline flat, but at an angle to the floor, and others lie parallel to the floor. Some convert from chair to bed at the touch of a button and some require that you manually flip the cushions around. Width varies as does length. For every traveler who loves a particular arrangement there is another who loathes it. Only you can be the judge of which one will help you have a good experience and arrive rested.

The Cancellation Deadline for Your Hotel?

The cancellation deadline shown on your itinerary for each hotel is local hotel time? For example, if you are on the east coast and need to cancel a hotel in California that has a 4p deadline, you will need to cancel it by 4p Pacific Time (7p Eastern Time).

OTHER NEWS

Apps Threat to Travel Managers

Travel managers could see their travel policy destroyed if they do not get control of their travellers’ use of apps. Smart phones are productivity tools, not toys. Use these devices to enforce your programmes and drive more compliance. Read more

Travel Managers, keep your travelers connected, productive, support their travel needs, and help them make in-policy decisions while traveling. Travel-On’s app supports online and agent-booked reservations, builds loyalty, and extends policy control to wherever your travelers are. It combines the functions of TripIt, WorldMate, FlightStats, Weather.com, GGA, MapQuest, OpenTable, Zagats, and more into one easy-to-use application with “click-to-call” technology ensuring that travelers are directed back to Travel-On for assistance. . Take advantage of the behaviors your travelers are already exhibiting and make this essential application a part of your company’s mobile strategy and travel management program. Ask your Travel-On account manager for more details.

Register To Attend the Global Business Travel Association Annual Conference

The GBTA Convention, taking place in the mile-high city of Denver, Colorado August 21-24, is The Business Travel Event of the Year. Read more

Companies Harness Mobile Phones to Protect Staff

These twin concepts of staff safety and practicality explain why more companies are turning their attention to mobile phones as a way to protect their staff. Read more

IRS Increases Business Standard Mileage Reimbursement for 2011

The government and many businesses use the rate to reimburse their employees for mileage. The 4.5-cent increase, to 55.5 cents a mile, for all business miles driven will be effective on July 1 through the remainder of the year. Taxpayers have the option of using the business standard mileage rate instead of calculating actual costs. Read more

SmartGate: Scanning Your Passport and Face At the Airport

SmartGate also uses facial recognition technology to perform the customs immigration checks that are usually conducted by a Customs and Border Protection officer. As of today, this technology is available in every Australian international airport. Read more

US Credit Cards May Not Always Work Overseas

Imagine the frustration and anxiety of being in a foreign country and finding out that your credit cards don’t work. Read more

“Dining” an Opportunity for Travel Managers

With food and drink spend a significant proportion of the total cost of a trip, there may be the opportunity for travel managers to have a closer eye on where their travellers choose. Read more

Interested in managing your dining expense while helping your travelers on the road? Ask your Travel-On account manager about our tool which gives travel managers the ability to manage dining spend and receive discounts while giving travelers the ability to search restaurants in the area, identify in-policy options and preferred restaurants, read Zagat reviews, see maps and get directions, and click to reserve and invite a guest. This is a great tool to save your company money and your traveler time.

Delta Amends Various Baggage Fees and Allowances Beginning July 1

Effective July 1, 2011, Delta Air Lines is amending various baggage fees and allowances for Delta and Delta Connection flights in order to become better aligned with our joint venture partners Air France and KLM. These amendments are in addition to previously-announced amendments to policies that began on June 1, 2011. Read more

AA Announces More Benefits for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Expanding Globally

American Airlines announced today that small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) can now earn Business ExtrAA® program points on American Airlines codeshare (AA*) flights operated by British Airways, Iberia, or Japan Airlines, in addition to all American Airlines flights. Read more

5 Fees Business Travelers Love

For many business travellers, it’s worth the cost to pay for something that improves comfort or productivity while in the air. Do you want to buy your way to a better trip? Here are five ways to do that: Read more

Delta Responds to Uproar Concerning Jewish Fliers

The controversy seems to have been sparked by two misleading articles published Thursday by USA Today and The Huffington Post. Read more

Is Paris in Your Future? Fly Air France IAD-CDG and Experience the New A380

The Airbus A380 with a wide body, double deck and 4 engines, is the largest airliner in the world. You can check out these videos below to see what it’s like or go-live and experience the A380 with AF from IAD-CDG offering 4 cabins including Premium Voyaguer (Premium Economy).

Why U.S. Airlines Don’t Fly the A380

The U.S. carriers, "prefer frequency over size," said aviation consultant Scott Hamilton. In their hubs, several times each day, dozens of airplanes fly in, exchange passengers and fly out, and the carriers often prefer to serve international destinations more than once a day -- or they simply don't have enough passengers to a given destination to fly an A380. Read more

Malaysia Airlines: No More Infants in 1st class on Jumbo Jets

Malaysia Airlines has banned babies in the first-class sections of its Boeing 747-400 jets. Read more

No More TSA Screeners? Airports Allowed to Opt-Out

The Transportation Security Administration has revised the application process for a program that allows airports to opt out of the federal screening program and instead apply to have private companies in charge of the security checkpoint. But a stipulation in the new application guidelines announced earlier this month is raising some concern. Read more

The Real Reason Airlines Use the Annoying Zone Boarding System

If you've ever flown coach, then you know the feeling of standing in a mob of Zone 4 ticket holders while the flight attendant repeats for the tenth time: "Now boarding all passengers in Zone 1." Read more

Maintain Healthy Habits While Traveling

It’s hard because you’re away from your normal routine, but if road warriors can make an effort, here are some tips to help you. Read more

China Shows Off Latest High-Speed Train

With its fully reclining airline-style business class seats, a strict no-smoking policy and designed top speed of 350 km (220 miles) per hour, the new Beijing-Shanghai express embodies China's race to the future. Read more

Reverse-Pyramid? Random? Outside-In? First-Come-First-Served? American Airlines Changes Boarding Process

Depending on who you talk to, the new boarding process at American Airlines has either shortened the time it takes to load the planes or caused "complete chaos" in the cabin. Read more

United: OnePass Frequent-Flier Program Will End Dec. 31

Starting in 2012, United says its Mileage Plus frequent-flier program will become the all-encompassing frequent-flier program for both it and merger partner Continental. Read more

JetBlue Adds Priority Screening Option -- For a Fee

The latest entrant is JetBlue's new "Even More Speed" option that gets you into priority security lines at 14 of JetBlue's most important airports. Read more

Frequent Flier Tips That Only the Pros Know

Here are some of their tricks that any flier can put to good use. Read more

Delta Completes Full Flat-Bed Installations on Boeing 777, 767-400

Delta Air Lines has finished installing full flat-bed seats in the BusinessElite cabin of all Boeing 777 and 767-400ER type aircraft. Read more

Heathrow in Crisis? Chronic Overcrowding at World’s Busiest Airport

Vast quantities of fuel are being wasted and thousands of passengers are facing flight delays due to overcrowding at Heathrow, the world’s busiest airport. Read more

Western Hotels Have Become a Popular Terrorist Target - What Can You Do?

When traveling to conflict zones abroad, security experts recommend that travelers avoid high-profile hotels, especially those on major thoroughfares or next to an embassy. Whenever possible, travelers should look to stay at locally owned and operated hotels. At a minimum, hotels should have crash barriers in front and metal detectors at the entrance. Read more

Hotels Offer Services Through Tablet PCs

For a night of clubbing in Manhattan on a recent weekend, Seunghee Thomson turned to the iPad in her room at the Mondrian SoHo to ask the hotel's concierge for a recommendation. Read more

Germ-free Remotes Coming to a Hotel Room Near You

Gerba, known as “Dr. Germ,” has found E. coli on some remotes and avoids using the TV remote in his hotel rooms. Now DIRECTV, the satellite TV service, has an easier, more sanitary solution. Read more

Hotel Housekeeping: Do You Tip?

Housekeeping is a realm of hotel tipping that even frequent travelers find confusing. Read more

Creating Value for Women Business Travelers

Rather than emphasize the importance of specific items that fluctuate from one survey to the next, a new Cornell study instead suggests that managers focus on how combinations of services, amenities, and facilities contribute to the desired affective responses sought by women business travelers. Read more

Rental Car Companies Charge Frequent Flier Mile Redemption Fees

You see a space on the online reservation form inviting you to enter your membership number in your favorite frequent flier program. It seems like you're being offered a free way to pocket frequent flier miles, which can eventually be cashed in for a plane ticket. Read more

DMCS and Planners - It’s Not Business As Usual

Will incentive and meeting planning companies be squeezed out because their clients’ in-house staff are teaming up with destination management companies (DMCs)? Read more