Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Volcanic Ash-Part 2

A plume of volcanic ash from Iceland's Grimsvotn volcano is causing anxiety in some parts of the U.K.

More than 500 flights had been impacted on Tuesday, and many others had to be diverted to avoid the affected area. Most of the delays are slight, as new paths are being charted.

The good news is that the volcano has lost the steam, and having learned from the gross over-reaction when most of European airspace was shut down last year, the impact of this one so far appears to be contained.

www.premieretravel.com

Friday, May 20, 2011

Expiring Miles-Problems Redeeming Mileage Awards

Feeling like being chased by that gigantic red tape ball as in Southwest Airlines commercial? You're not alone....

Millions of "loyalty program" members don't receive the appreciation when the time comes to redeem their mileage that they worked so hard to accrue.
If lucky enough to find seats, they are greeted with lots of "ifs and buts" along with a slew of fees for the "free" tickets. Changes carry fees and penalties, making some free tickets quite costly.

Premiere Travel can assist in helping clients in managing their frequent flyer programs by offering redemption opportunities beyond travel and limiting the expiration of mileage awards.

Each year 30% of mileage balances expire. That is trillions of miles each year. Value added promotions, donations to charities, and merchandise are some of the opportunities missed by members. The award system is designed not to work in your favor.

For more information of how Premiere Travel can assist you in managing your mileage awards, please send us an email to:
support@premieretravel.com

www.premieretravel.com

Monday, May 16, 2011

Airlines Expect An Increase in International Summer Travel

Higher fuel surcharges and fares do not seem to be deterring Americans' appetite for international travel. Airlines are predicting an increase in the number of passengers traveling from the U.S. abroad.

Advance booking indications are healthy and combined with 1% lower capacity, travelers should expect to see fuller planes and higher fares this summer.

www.premieretravel.com

Friday, May 13, 2011

Southwest completes Air Tran Acquisition

While travelers in Atlanta will not see the ubiquitous colors of the Southwest 737's anytime soon, the airline sealed the deal to buy Air Tran, the second largest carrier in the Atlanta market with over 200 flights a day.

Southwest plans to keep Air Tran as a separate carrier at least through the end of the year and may be longer.

Delta said it "welcomed" the opportunity to compete with Southwest on its home turf.

Air Tran's network complements Southwest's as it adds markets not served or under-served by Southwest. It remains to be seen what strategy Southwest has as the two airlines have different business models. Primarily, in addition to the difference in baggage fee policy, Southwest does not assign seats while Air Tran does.

www.premieretravel.com

Friday, May 6, 2011

Delta Plans 4% Capacity Reduction

Delta Airlines, stung by the high cost of fuel announced capacity cuts of about 4% of its schedule after the summer high season.

It also offered early retirements and buyouts to some of its employees. Among other measures, Delta is retiring many of its fuel inefficient airplanes, downsizing some and replacing them with smaller but more efficient equipment.

www.premieretravel.com

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Fuel Surcharge Reversal?

Price of crude oil and jet fuel has gone through a "mini crash" in the past few days. Prices have gone down about 10% in less than a week.

So what are the airlines going to do now? Historically, airlines have shrugged off declines in fuel costs, but are always very quick to react when the prices go up.

At the moment, no carrier is rushing to mark down their "fuel surcharge" which has reached a record $424 for a round-trip transatlantic ticket.

www.premieretravel.com

Monday, May 2, 2011

Global Travel Alert Issued

The US State Department has issued a global travel alert to all US citizens following the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, warning of 'enhanced potential' for anti-American violence.

The US also put its embassies on alert, warning Americans of reprisal attacks.

www.premieretravel.com

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Mileage Redemption Harder to Redeem

With airlines downsizing aircraft and selling more seats, frequent flyer members are having a hard time redeeming their mileage awards.

Seats assigned for frequent flyer redemptions are being reduced or outright eliminated. On popular routes, travelers find it impossible to redeem their miles no matter how flexible they are.

If they do find seats, they are greeted with a slew of fees to redeem their "free awards".

The game has changed so much over the years with millions of new members raking in big miles even when they don't fly. Signing up for a new credit card will make the applicant eligible immediately for a domestic ticket. Purchases of any product or service are eligible to receive mileage credits.
The result is the worst of both worlds: way too many people competing for more scarce seats.

At some point, loyalty will be on the line if airlines cannot deliver opportunities for redemption.

www.premieretravel.com