Sunday, August 28, 2011

Irene Aftermath: Repositioning Aircraft and Crews

The biggest challenges facing the restoration of normal flight operations are the repositioning of aircraft and crew, and accommodating tens of thousands of travelers that were affected.

Washington area airports will recover more quickly than New York and Boston Airports. It will be at least till Tuesday before things return to normal.

We continue to advise travelers to check the status of their flights before they head to airports.

www.premieretravel.com

Friday, August 26, 2011

Tips for Re-scheduling Your Flights

As Hurricane Irene approaches the East Coast, airlines are issuing bulletins on their websites advising about cancellations and re-booking policies.

Passengers have to take into account the "terms and conditions" the airlines are allowing "free" changes. Most carriers for example mandate that you begin your affected trip no later than September 4, 2011. There are many problems with such conditions: They include:
A) The purpose of the trip is lost (i.e. attending a wedding or a an event)
B) With so many passengers making changes and flights heavily booked due to reduction of capacity, it is unlikely you will find seats even if you flexible.

Best thing to do would be to wait for the airline to cancel the flight and this would activate Rule 240, a regulation era rule that says the airline has to accommodate you on the next available flight or connections acceptable to you, or fully refund your fare.

www.premieretravel.com

Hurricane Irene Update

The National Weather Service latest hurricane tracking shows a wide swath of affected areas on the east coast that will be impacted by the projected path of Hurricane Irene.

Please check the status of your flights, particularly Saturday and Sunday with your airline or at www.premieretravel.com

Due to very heavy call volume anticipated, airlines' response time as well as all 24-hour emergency services may experience long delays. Please use the emergency numbers only for emergencies. Flight status can be checked on our website or with the airline. Many of our agents will be on stand-by to assist our travelers the best we can.

www.premieretravel.com

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Airports Operations Resume After Earthquake Disruption

August 23, 2011 (6pm update): Airline operations resumed mid-afternoon but delays and some cancellations will linger through the evening. Favorable weather conditions will help operations get back to normal.

However, Hurricane Irene is expected to show up later in the week and airlines have already started to issue one-time waivers for passengers that may be affected.

Please check your flight status at www.premieretravel.com

www.premieretravel.com

Earthquake Disrupts Mid-Atlantic Travel

a 5.9 magnitude earthquake originating in Mineral, Virginia has caused air traffic to halt at DC airports, Philadelphia and New York Airports where control towers had to be evacuated.

This is a fluid situation with significant disruption expected to reverberate throughout the afternoon.

Runways and tower controls will be inspected prior to resumption of services. Incoming and outgoing flights will be delayed while this mess is being sorted.

www.premieretravel.com

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Another Trial Balloon-Airlines Contemplate Surcharges on Credit Card Use

A Major airline in Europe has started imposing a "surcharge" for using credit cards to pay for airline tickets in six markets, dubbed as a trial.

While it is quite understandable that airlines want to reduce costs, this could potentially be a game changer.

Companies and individual travelers have become accustomed to paying for travel by credit card and receiving points, rebates and benefits.

Travel Management Companies are also happy not to extend billing and wait for payments. It is the airlines that are the actual merchants in the vast majority of the cases, and it is the airlines that pay the merchant discount fees to the credit card companies. With major airlines doing billions a year in sales, it is easy to calculate what a 1% to 2% saving would do to the bottom line. But this will likely run into a firestorm of opposition and most likely incur the wrath (and the strong lobby) of the banks and credit card companies that benefit from the merchant fees.

www.premieretravel.com

Monday, August 8, 2011

U.S. Aviation Tax Reinstated

The U.S. Congress has reached an agreement to temporarily extend full funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through September 16 and as a result, the FAA authority to collect federal aviation taxes will be reinstated.

For tickets sold beginning 12:01am on Monday August 8 the following taxes will apply:
• The 7.5% tax generally applicable to domestic transportation (as well the 7.5% tax on amounts received from the sale of "frequent flyer miles".)
• The $3.70 domestic segment tax.
• The $16.30 international arrival/departure tax.
• The $8.20 departure tax for flights between Alaska/Hawaii and the mainland US.

The I.R.S. has also put an end to the speculation about tax refunds for travelers who may have paid taxes and traveled while FAA's mandate had expired, stating "there will be no refund".

www.premieretravel.com

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Congress Goes Home , Airlines Continue to Pocket Windfall

As the bleary-eyed Congress members head home after passing the debt ceiling legislation, airlines will continue enjoying the benefits of the partial FAA shutdown in which no domestic taxes on air tickets are being collected and the airlines have eagerly stepped in to mop up the difference in airfare through stealth fare hikes that offset any tax savings for travelers.

While estimates vary, airlines may wind up pocketing a windfall of at least $1.3 billion before Congress decides to reinstate the tax collection.

www.premieretravel.com