Friday, August 31, 2012

American Airlines Opens Its Books to USAirways

USAirways and AMR, parent of American Airlines agreed on procedural issues for USAirways to perform due dilligence for a potential merger. There are still many obstacles in the way of a possible merger, including the banruptcy process and resolution of labor agreements. The biggest obstacle in our opinion remains to be the cultural differences between the two carriers. USAirways is actually the old America West Airlines that merged with US Air and assumed it's name. This acquisition tried to meld two disparate airlines and many years after this merger, some argue it is still not very smooth. Another reminder of how airline mergers can go awry happened earlier this week when United's reservation and check-in system crashed. www.premieretravel.com

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Delta-American Merger on Horizon?

Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Delta Airlines may be considering a bid for American Airlines. Delta will be putting the lid on its regional carrier Comair in September, and many think that Delta may be positioning itself to make a move on American which has also been a target of USAirways. Acquiring American will not be easy for Delta but the two carriers share common legacy cultures and Delta has shown that it can meld acquisitions better than the still problematic United-Continental merger. www.premieretravel.com

Friday, August 17, 2012

No Free Wi-Fi? Hotels At Disadvantage

Many hotels and hotel chain holdouts believe that they can still charge up to $30 a day for wi-fi or internet access. These hotels are simply taking advantage of their guests and tacking on this exhorbitant fee with no real justification. The irony is that their "free breakfast" costs more than internet access and many guests will take the option of free internet over "free continental breakfast" or even "Full breakfast". No question that some hotels have taken a page from airlines' strategy for nickeling and diming their ways into the guests' pocketbooks, while other savvy chains realize the advantage of providing a service that has become so essential to travelers. Free wi-fi has become an essential and deciding factor when choosing hotels. www.premieretravel.com

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Prepaid Hotels Through www.premieretravel.com

Companies and organizations can now go online to www.premieretravel.com and prepay for their employees' or approved personnel's hotel and car rentals. Here's what you get: * Very competitive hotel and car rental rates worldwide from one source. * Instant availability and confirmations * Map displays, hotel information, different room types and area attractions. * Simply complete the booking and enter authorized credit card information and receive instant confirmations for your travelers 24/7. No need for filing expense reports or look for reimbursements. This feature will also control costs by selecting properties and cars within travel policies and guidelines. www.premieretravel.com

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

American Airlines Gets a $162.4 Million Debit Memo

American Airlines was fined a record penalty of $162.4 million for numerous violations of U.S. safety standards going back several years. The FAA filed documents describing a variety of violations against the carrier, and these came to light in the bankruptcy proceedings. A spokesperson for the airline said the carrier is cooperating with the FAA and seeking to reduce the penalty. The FAA said in a statement that it filed the claim to make sure that the government gets paid just like other creditors in the AMR bankruptcy case. It declined further comment, citing ongoing investigations. In some cases, the agency had not yet formally notified American of the proposed fines. www.premieretravel.com

Monday, August 6, 2012

United Offers Rebate for Global Entry

United Airlines announced a compensation program for their elite travelers that will offer a $100 for eligible travelers who participate in the Global Entry Program. Here are the details: Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved travelers upon arrival in the United States. As a benefit of the 2012 MileagePlus® program, Premier Platinum, Premier 1K and Global ServicesSM members may be compensated for the $100 USD fee associated with a new application for Global Entry. Eligible members can obtain a credit toward the fee for new applications, in the form of a personalized, stored-value credit card code, which can be redeemed during the Global Entry application process. To verify eligibility, obtain the personalized code, and receive instructions on how to apply for Global Entry, please visit united.com/globalentrycompensation. Alternatively, members who have already applied for Global Entry between January 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012 are eligible for a $100 USD TravelBank credit, which can be used toward travel purchased through united.com. Eligible members may request the credit by submitting the following information to globalentrycredit@united.com: • Member’s MileagePlus number (eight-character, alphanumeric) • The name as it appears on the account • A confirmation of the Global Entry application submission, such as a payment summary screenshot, email confirmation, or approval letter. www.premieretravel.com

Friday, August 3, 2012

Baggage Compliance Confusion

New U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations on the disclosure of baggage allowances and fees (§ 399.85(c)) and the application of identical baggage fees across a passenger’s entire itinerary (§ 399.87), effective July 20, 2012 is causing additional confusion as each airline comes up with its own interpretation and applies new rules, mostly resulting in additional fees if travelers have split tickets that are not on the same itinerary. Last week, we posted the U.S. Airways rule and now here's United: U.S. DOT Baggage Rule Compliance In compliance with the new U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations on the disclosure of baggage allowances and fees (§ 399.85(c)) and the application of identical baggage fees across a passenger’s entire itinerary (§ 399.87), effective July 20, 2012, United Airlines will disclose and apply baggage allowances and charges based on the first marketing carrier in the passenger itinerary. For passengers whose ultimate ticketed origin or destination is a point in the United States, carriers must apply the baggage allowances and charges of the first marketing carrier at the beginning of and throughout a passenger's entire itinerary. A calculator tool has been added at united.com/baggagecalculator and on United mobile applications to make it easier to understand what the baggage service charge will be for specific flights. Baggage fee waivers for MileagePlus® Premier status members or eligible credit card holders are included in the computation of the baggage charges. For customers using United self-service channels for check-in, the baggage calculation will occur automatically. www.premieretravel.com