The U.S. State Department has announced plans to evacuate Americans stranded in Egypt.
The U.S. Embassy in Cairo has over 52,000 Americans registered in Egypt. Over 2400 have already requested assistance in leaving the country.
The State Department will be deploying chartered aircraft and will be relying on friends and relatives in the U.S. to reach starnded Americans in Egypt.
For more information on this fluid situation, please check:
http://www.state.gov/
www.premieretravel.com
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
New Travel Advisory for Egypt
The U.S. Department of State has issued a "Travel Alert" for Egypt in light of the on-going violent demonstrations and social unrest that appears to gain momentum on Saturday.
Almost all tours, cruises and travel are being severely disrupted and travel to Egypt should be avoided for the time being.
U.S. citizens currently in Egypt should remain in hotels and residences until the situation stabilizes.
www.premieretravel.com
Almost all tours, cruises and travel are being severely disrupted and travel to Egypt should be avoided for the time being.
U.S. citizens currently in Egypt should remain in hotels and residences until the situation stabilizes.
www.premieretravel.com
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Winter Weather Advisory East Coast- Another Chapter
The mid-atlantic region once again is bracing for yet another winter storm that is moving from the south and expecting to disrupt travel across the eastern seaboard.
United Airlines has issued travel waivers for travelers to/from/through:
DCA – Washington D.C.
IAD – Washington Dulles
BWI – Baltimore, MD
PIT – Pittsburgh, PA
MDT – Harrisburg, PA
PHL – Philadelphia, PA
AVP – Wilkes Barre/Scranton, PA
EWR – Newark, NJ
JFK – New York City, NY
LGA – New York City, NY
HPN – White Plains, NY
ALB – Albany, NY
BDL – Hartford, CT
PVD – Providence, RI
BOS – Boston, MA
MHT – Manchester, NH
PWM – Portland, ME
For tickets purchased on or before January 25, 2011 and travel covering January 26-27.
Please check your flight status with at www.premieretravel.com or your airline's website.
www.premieretravel.com
United Airlines has issued travel waivers for travelers to/from/through:
DCA – Washington D.C.
IAD – Washington Dulles
BWI – Baltimore, MD
PIT – Pittsburgh, PA
MDT – Harrisburg, PA
PHL – Philadelphia, PA
AVP – Wilkes Barre/Scranton, PA
EWR – Newark, NJ
JFK – New York City, NY
LGA – New York City, NY
HPN – White Plains, NY
ALB – Albany, NY
BDL – Hartford, CT
PVD – Providence, RI
BOS – Boston, MA
MHT – Manchester, NH
PWM – Portland, ME
For tickets purchased on or before January 25, 2011 and travel covering January 26-27.
Please check your flight status with at www.premieretravel.com or your airline's website.
www.premieretravel.com
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Lavatory Fee...Why not?
Airlines executives are looking at their financial results for 2010, and they do see things that they like...ancillary fees recorded their best year ever, with a total that may have well exceeded $10 billion.
With reduced capacity, comes fuller airplanes, and along with reduced competition due to mergers, code sharing and alliances, it is not that consumers have real choices left when it comes to air travel. So airlines can choose to charge what they want when they want it, and travelers have to open their wallets.
So why not think of the unthinkable? First, when the concept of charging fees for checked-in bags, meals, drinks, enhanced seats, etc. were gradually rolled out, vanguard airlines were worried their competitors would not match and they would have to roll back, but soon almost all, with Southwest as the notable exception, did. So how do you top that phenomenal source of revenue in 2011? One thing one airline started is complaining about the "high cost" of distribution and display of its inventory. So under the guise of a "better traveler's experience", they want the distribution to go to a "direct connect" and cut the "middleman" out.
On the fee side, it won't be long before we see a card swipe type of lock on your aircraft lavatories should you wish the privilege of using it. Airlines always claim that they are only recouping costs and that passengers who do not use "services" would not have to pay for them.
www.premieretravel.com
With reduced capacity, comes fuller airplanes, and along with reduced competition due to mergers, code sharing and alliances, it is not that consumers have real choices left when it comes to air travel. So airlines can choose to charge what they want when they want it, and travelers have to open their wallets.
So why not think of the unthinkable? First, when the concept of charging fees for checked-in bags, meals, drinks, enhanced seats, etc. were gradually rolled out, vanguard airlines were worried their competitors would not match and they would have to roll back, but soon almost all, with Southwest as the notable exception, did. So how do you top that phenomenal source of revenue in 2011? One thing one airline started is complaining about the "high cost" of distribution and display of its inventory. So under the guise of a "better traveler's experience", they want the distribution to go to a "direct connect" and cut the "middleman" out.
On the fee side, it won't be long before we see a card swipe type of lock on your aircraft lavatories should you wish the privilege of using it. Airlines always claim that they are only recouping costs and that passengers who do not use "services" would not have to pay for them.
www.premieretravel.com
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Dreamliner by Boeing Coming Soon!
Boeing announced that the first delivery of the long anticipated and much delayed Dreamliner 787 will happen in the third quarter of 2011.
The delivery time takes into account all the additional testing that still needs to be performed to complete the certification process.
Boeing badly needs the 787 to regain lost market share to European rival Airbus.
The price tag (MSRP) of the Dreamliner ranges from $185 million to $218 million.
www.premieretravel.com
The delivery time takes into account all the additional testing that still needs to be performed to complete the certification process.
Boeing badly needs the 787 to regain lost market share to European rival Airbus.
The price tag (MSRP) of the Dreamliner ranges from $185 million to $218 million.
www.premieretravel.com
Monday, January 17, 2011
Cheap European Travel?
Flying to Europe this winter may be cheaper than flying to Boston! As the tradition goes, fares to Europe from the U.S. are again very cheap. The only crazy thing is that you end up paying more in taxes and user fees than the actual fare.
There are so many deals out there. While airlines keep trying to reduce capacity, many seats are still going unfilled.
To add yet another incentive to travel, you don't have to stay in one city. The wide proliferation of discount carriers in Europe means that you can go to a second, third or even fourth city for less than a $100 per stop.
Hotels are also rolling the red carpet with "specials". For example some chains have 50% off or: "stay 2 nights get the third for free"....
With a euro that declined year over year versus the dollar, this may be too good to pass up.
www.premieretravel.com
There are so many deals out there. While airlines keep trying to reduce capacity, many seats are still going unfilled.
To add yet another incentive to travel, you don't have to stay in one city. The wide proliferation of discount carriers in Europe means that you can go to a second, third or even fourth city for less than a $100 per stop.
Hotels are also rolling the red carpet with "specials". For example some chains have 50% off or: "stay 2 nights get the third for free"....
With a euro that declined year over year versus the dollar, this may be too good to pass up.
www.premieretravel.com
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
More Weather Disruptions on Tap
A new weather front that wreaked havoc in the south on Monday is now making it's way to the mid-atlantic region and will likely impact air travel in the Washington, Philadelphia, New York areas.
Passengers should double check their flight status this afternoon and evening. Airlines will issue waivers for airports that will experience cancellations or major delays.
Delta and other Atlanta based carriers had to cancel hundreds of flights yesterday and today. Road conditions in the south remain treacherous.
www.premieretravel.com
Passengers should double check their flight status this afternoon and evening. Airlines will issue waivers for airports that will experience cancellations or major delays.
Delta and other Atlanta based carriers had to cancel hundreds of flights yesterday and today. Road conditions in the south remain treacherous.
www.premieretravel.com
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Social Media Powers Into Travel
Travel Suppliers, Airlines, Hotels, Tour Operators, and yes, even Travel Management Companies can no longer deny the powerful role of social media in travel choices and decisions.
Strategies are being crafted with facebook and twitter in mind. The trend is overwhelming and unmistakable...social media are destined to play a very big role in travel.
This trend is becoming a fast reality. Print media publications seem to be the clear loser, as suppliers shift their attention to the internet's new media and reducing their advertising budget in "traditional media".
Facebook has in excess of 600 million members, and twitter's growth is in the exponential stage. The nature of the travel experience favors social media perhaps more than most businesses.
www.premieretravel.com
Strategies are being crafted with facebook and twitter in mind. The trend is overwhelming and unmistakable...social media are destined to play a very big role in travel.
This trend is becoming a fast reality. Print media publications seem to be the clear loser, as suppliers shift their attention to the internet's new media and reducing their advertising budget in "traditional media".
Facebook has in excess of 600 million members, and twitter's growth is in the exponential stage. The nature of the travel experience favors social media perhaps more than most businesses.
www.premieretravel.com
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Distribution Wars: American Airlines Vs. The World
The skirmish that started between American Airlines and Orbitz (the online booking engine) in November of last year has now turned into an ugly and expanded war between Global Distribution Systems and American Airlines.
Expedia joined the fray in December in solidarity with Orbitz by removing American Airlines availability from display or "downgrading" it to secondary pages.
Now Sabre Travel Solutions, one of the largest travel distribution systems, and Travelport, have also fired back at American. Sabre will downgrade American's availability, and some agents will not even see the American options.
While nobody know how this scenario will continue to unfold, one thing is for sure, that we are on the cusp of major changes in how airline seats are distributed and the air travelers will once again be victimized.
www.premieretravel.com
Expedia joined the fray in December in solidarity with Orbitz by removing American Airlines availability from display or "downgrading" it to secondary pages.
Now Sabre Travel Solutions, one of the largest travel distribution systems, and Travelport, have also fired back at American. Sabre will downgrade American's availability, and some agents will not even see the American options.
While nobody know how this scenario will continue to unfold, one thing is for sure, that we are on the cusp of major changes in how airline seats are distributed and the air travelers will once again be victimized.
www.premieretravel.com
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
At Your Service...
Normalcy seems to have returned to the mid-atlantic/New York,and New England regions after the blizzard and the resulting air travel disruptions.
Airlines, as expected, did a terrible job in their preparedness and response to such predictable events such as weather...
One group of travelers that did not quite suffer are those who are customers of travel management companies who scrambled mightily to accommodate their customers and be on their side when needed most.
Joe Sharkey agrees. In his "On the Road" article published in the New York Times yesterday, he drove the point home.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/business/04road.html
www.premieretravel.com
Airlines, as expected, did a terrible job in their preparedness and response to such predictable events such as weather...
One group of travelers that did not quite suffer are those who are customers of travel management companies who scrambled mightily to accommodate their customers and be on their side when needed most.
Joe Sharkey agrees. In his "On the Road" article published in the New York Times yesterday, he drove the point home.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/business/04road.html
www.premieretravel.com
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Travel 2011- Wish List
Top 10 Wishes for a great 2011 travel year:
* Airlines would treat travelers as valued customers, not sheep
* TSA would operate more efficiently
* Airlines do a better job accommodating stranded and delayed passengers
* Airlines avoid the temptation of adding more ancillary fees and make them easier to account for by corporate clients
* Airport Authorities do more with the tax dollars by improving crowded facilities
* Common Sense ticket pricing
* Make frequent flyer awards easier to redeem
* Cities, municipalities, airports and other taxing authorities to avoid the temptation of punitive taxation of travelers
* Hotels to control and adopt common sense pricing for their room inventories
* For all travel facilities providers and operators to provide a better "traveler experience"
* Airlines would treat travelers as valued customers, not sheep
* TSA would operate more efficiently
* Airlines do a better job accommodating stranded and delayed passengers
* Airlines avoid the temptation of adding more ancillary fees and make them easier to account for by corporate clients
* Airport Authorities do more with the tax dollars by improving crowded facilities
* Common Sense ticket pricing
* Make frequent flyer awards easier to redeem
* Cities, municipalities, airports and other taxing authorities to avoid the temptation of punitive taxation of travelers
* Hotels to control and adopt common sense pricing for their room inventories
* For all travel facilities providers and operators to provide a better "traveler experience"
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