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News and Tips For Your Trips

U.S. cities top the cost charts for business travelers

Business travelers really rack up the expenses in the Big Apple. (Image: Jim Glab)

What’s the most expensive destination for a U.S. business traveler? You might think it’s some pricey overseas city like Tokyo or Geneva or Paris. Nope – not even close. The most expensive business destinations are right here in the USA.

That’s according to an extensive new ranking of daily business travel costs compiled by the trade publication Business Travel News, using data from actual January-November 2016 bookings provided by the global corporate travel management company BCD Travel.  The study looked at average daily spending for a hotel, rental car and meals at scores of cities in the U.S. and abroad.

And the most expensive of all those destinations was New York City, with average daily spending of $549 – an increase of 5 percent year-over-year. San Francisco ranked second, at $534, followed by Boston at $510.

Source: Business Travel News

By contrast, the foreign city with the highest average spending level was Tokyo at $489 a day, followed by Zurich at $471 and London at $468. (All overseas prices were recorded in local currencies and converted to U.S. dollars. Click on the above link for an explanation of the study’s methodology.)

Three of the five most expensive foreign business destinations were in Switzerland; in addition to Zurich, they included Basel at $442 a day and Geneva at $432. And in the U.S., four of the 10 most expensive cities were in California. Besides San Francisco, they included Los Angeles ($419), San Jose ($418), and Santa Barbara ($395).

Source: Business Travel News

Hotel rates accounted for the biggest difference in costs. The average daily cost of a business hotel stay in New York was $385, followed by $379 for San Francisco, $337 for Boston and $320 for Washington D.C., the fourth-place U.S. destination.

By contrast, no hotel spending at foreign destinations exceeded $300 a day. The average hotel spend was $239 in Tokyo, $265 in Zurich and $279 in London.

Readers: Which U.S. and foreign cities have you found to be the most expensive in your travels? How do you keep costs down on business trips?

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Passenger bumping plummets after dragging incident

Passenger bumpings at U.S. airlines are down dramatically. (Image: Jim Glab)

Remember all that horribly negative publicity that the airline industry went through earlier this year after a United passenger, Dr. David Dao, was forcibly pulled from his seat and dragged off the aircraft, sustaining serious injuries?

Apparently the ensuing public debate and the reforms adopted by major carriers after that incident are having a big impact: New government figures show that the number of passengers subjected to “involuntary denied boarding” on U.S. carriers has nosedived to record lows.

In its latest Air Travel Consumer Report, just released this week, the Transportation Department said that the bumping rate for U.S. carriers in the third quarter of this year was 0.15 per 10,000 passengers – “the lowest quarterly rate based on historical data dating back to 1995.”

That’s a drop of 66 percent from the second quarter of this year, and a decline of 78 percent from the third quarter of 2016.

Looking at individual airlines, the biggest drop in the bumping rate for the third quarter of 2017 vs. a year earlier was at JetBlue, down from 1.47 per 10,000 passengers to just 0.02. United’s rate went from 0.46 last year to 0.04 in this year’s third quarter, while American’s fell from 0.64 to 0.09.

Source: DOT

For the first nine months of 2017, DOT said, the bumping rate was 0.39 per 10,000 passengers, down from 0.65 for the same period a year earlier, and also a record low. The previous record low for January-September was 0.64 in 2002.

In the wake of that April dragging incident, major airlines vowed to offer significantly more compensation to entice passengers to give up their seats on overbooked flights.

And for some icing on the cake, DOT also said that in September of this year, the number of mishandled baggage reports was 1.99 incidents per 1,000 passengers. That’s down from 2.45 in August of this year, and is “the lowest monthly rate since DOT started collecting mishandled baggage report data in September 1987,” the agency said.

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Perfect timing for the cheapest trips

Cathay Pacific wing good timing

This Friday Nov 17 will be the busiest day of the Thanksgiving holiday- use good timing to find the best deals (Image of Cathay Pacific A350 at SFO, Chris McGinnis)

Want a great travel deal? Then you need to focus on your timing.

While everyone is moaning about high holiday fares, I’m going to let you in on a secret: Smack in the middle of what’s typically the most expensive time of year to travel lies the CHEAPEST time of year to travel.

How’s that? Well, let’s take a walk thru the calendar and I’ll show you when to pounce on deals—and when you should be prepared for sticker shock. It’s a bumpy ride of highs and lows, so stick with me and you’ll eventually find a perfectly timed deal that works for you.

November-December

Viking River Cruises

Viking River Cruises are about 45 percent less expensive in winter months (Photo: Viking)

Travel prices are relatively cheap in the early part of November but spike around Thanksgiving. However, travel patterns have been changing lately. Traditionally, the one of the busiest days of Thanksgiving holiday is the Wednesday before. But in recent years, the FRIDAY before Thanksgiving has emerged as one of the two busiest days at most major airports. The other busiest day is of course the Sunday after.

While it’s likely too late to find many deals during Thanksgiving week, keep an eye out for some last-minute deals on Thursday, Friday and Saturday– the slowest days. You’ll also find good downtown hotel rates in many cities this week since business travelers are home- your relatives will thank you 😉

Another silver lining for bargain hunters? An early Thanksgiving (Nov 23) means that the so-called “dead weeks” will begin earlier. These typically begin during the first week of December, but this year they’ll start around Tuesday, November 28. This holds true nearly everywhere except in NYC when prices begin to soar in December due to holiday shopping frenzy that grips Manhattan- airfares rise slightly, but hotel rates, especially on weekends in December, spike. (Good luck finding anything decent for less than $500.)

This is also a great time to consider one of those super-popular European river cruises which frequently sell out months or even years in advance. For example, a November week-long sailing on the Danube in Viking River Cruises starts at $1,999 per person – which is approximately 45 percent less than a peak summer, which starts at $3,649 per person. (I’ll be sailing the Danube on Viking this December so stay tuned for a Trip Report!)

January-February:

Fall autumn leaves New York

New York’s Central Park puts on a spectacular show in the fall – but rate hotel rates don’t fall til January (Chris McGinnis)

When everyone goes home after New Years, travel demand plummets and we fall into another short period of “Dead weeks” — the slowest (and cheapest) time of year for bargain hunters.

Early January through the early March is a great time to find excellent last-minute deals. Exceptions to this would be long weekends like Martin Luther King (Jan 13-15, 2018) Valentines/Presidents Day (Feb 14-19, 2018).

If you are between jobs, retired with no kids in school and have the flexibility to travel during these weeks, you’ll see jaw dropping low prices….and also lots of good last-minute deals on sites like Hotwire.com or LastMinuteTravel.com or apps like Hotel Tonight.

New York and San Francisco hotels have become freakishly expensive this year, but you’ll find some good deals if you go during January. (See New York Hotel Week for some good ideas.) If you’ve been priced out of these cities, January would be a great time for cost-conscious business travelers to set up meeting with prospects and clients.

Winter is also a very nice time to visit California Wine Country, especially if the sun is out. And the region could definitely use your help this winter- you’ll find a broad welcome mat and cheaper hotel rates, too. See The 29 Napa for ideas. I’ll be there in March to watch the beautiful mustard bloom yellow across the valleys!

March-April

snow

This is what springtime looked like last year near my sister-in-law’s house near Lake Tahoe (Photo: N Dean)

This is spring break and you need to be on alert for high prices and surprise crowds at airports, especially if you live in or near a college town OR if you are headed to a warm weather destination like Florida, Mexico or the Caribbean. Find out when the university nearest you has spring break (see calendar by school here) and stay home that weekend!

Late March is usually the busiest time of year for collegiate Spring break, and April is more popular with families traveling around Easter. But in 2018, Easter is early (April 1) so the last week in March will be crazy with both family and collegiate spring breakers hitting the roads and skies and bumping up airfares, hotels and rental car rates.

If you feel priced out of skiing this winter, consider taking a trip in early April (after Easter) when you’ll find cheaper fares, deals on lift tickets, and lots of end-of-season fun and festivities. (One day lift tickets at Vail this year are $164. At Squaw Valley: $158. Ouch) And if it’s like last year was in the West, you’ll find some of the best ski conditions of the year (but don’t count on it!).

April-June

There’s a silver lining to an early Easter, though, which is a much longer “shoulder season” when demand dips along with prices. Shoulder season in 2018 will run almost 10 weeks from early April until mid-June when peak summer pricing and crowds kick in. (Except of course Memorial Day weekend, May 26-28, 2018).

Shoulder season is not as cheap as the dead weeks, but it’s not anywhere near the peak of what you’ll pay during July or August. This is probably the very best time of year to travel to Europe because the weather is getting warmer and summer crowds have not arrived. This is when new low fare carriers like Norwegian and WOW Air offer super low fares which are frequent matched by the majors. Hotels are cheaper, too. And there are flowers blooming!

It’s also a very nice time to see Mexico– especially Mexico City- here’s my take on the magnificent Mexican megalopolis!

June-August

Paris is sure pretty, but very pricey during peak summer months. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The peak of the peak summer season does not start until mid-June, so you’ll find significantly lower prices in early June compared to later in the month. Prices soar after that, especially on and around July the 4th and stay high mid August when kids go back to school. The also spike for Labor Day.

Keep in mind that late August is still technically summer so if you can time your vacation then, you’ll save a bundle. Keep an eye out for summer fare sales that roll out in the spring that offer the best deals to those willing to travel before about June 15 and after about August 15.

September-November

Cuba Santiago Fathom Adonia

Fathom ship Adonia entering the harbor at Santiago de Cuba- cruise ships can still call on Cuban ports and the cheapest time to go is autumn (Photo: Fathom)

What’s best about shoulder season is that there are TWO of them! The second one starts in September and lasts all the way to Thanksgiving.

Fall is a slow (and very cheap) time for cruising because kids are back in school and people are fearful of hurricanes. But the reality is that modern cruise ships are fast enough to navigate around storms.

Leisure travelers should keep in mind that this is convention season in many major US cities, so mid-week rates at big city hotels can soar to freakish levels, and then crash on weekends when conventioneers leave town.

Last year Marriott created a helpful infographic with some great ideas for taking advantage of the off-season.

OffSeasonInfograph

When do you find the best travel deals? Do you have the flexibility to travel during the slower shoulder season or dead weeks? Please leave your comments below. 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Cheaper rates making car rental customers happier

Car rental customers are feeling better about things this year. (Image: Jim Glab)

Travelers who rent cars at airports are showing higher levels of satisfaction this year, according to J.D. Power and Associates – but not because they’re less frustrated with the logistics of booking and picking up a vehicle.

They’re more satisfied with the rental experience mainly because they’re not paying as much.

“Lower prices are having a positive effect on perceived value for renters, which is raising overall levels of satisfaction, but several other key quality measures—notably, wait times and problems with the pick-up and return processes—have not improved over the past four years,” said Michael Taylor, the executive in charge of travel surveys at J.D. Power. “But cheaper daily rental rates overcome those negatives for most renters.”

The company found that the average reported daily price for renting a car fell by $11 a day in 2017, which was the major factor in driving up customer satisfaction by 22 points to 826 on J.D. Power’s 1,000-point scale.

The consolidated car rental center at San Diego’s airport. (Image: San Diego International Airport)

But a continuing increase in the number of travelers is leading to delays in picking up cars, and the explosion of major construction and renovation projects at many major airports isn’t helping either.

J.D. Power said that from 2013 to 2017, the average waiting time for customers to pick up a vehicle increased by two minutes. “Of customers who experienced a problem, 20 percent reported a problem with the pick-up process and 17 percent reported a problem with the return process, a phenomenon that is largely attributable to increased passenger volume and construction at airports,” J.D. Power said.

While customers are generally happy to see rental prices drop this year – perhaps as a result of ride-sharing services continuing to steal market share from rental companies – the survey found that renters who focus only on price in selecting a vendor and vehicle may regret it.

“Renters who choose rental car brands based on price alone are the least satisfied (787), while customers who choose a rental car brand based on features and benefits are the most highly satisfied (889),” the company noted. Advice: You get what you pay for when renting cars! 

Source: J.D. Power and Associates- note that Enterprise, Alamo & National all owned by same company

The survey also found that rental car customers expect to get a response from their vendor when they post something on social media about their rental experience. Seven out of 10 car renters expressed that view in the survey – a rate much higher than the 45 percent of airline and hotel customers who have similar expectations.

And rental companies should reply to posts if they want to keep customers happy. “When a rental car company simply responds to a post, satisfaction increases 63 points on average. If the issue is resolved, the satisfaction score jumps 95 points,” the company said.

For the fourth consecutive year, Enterprise ranked in the top spot for customer satisfaction with a score of 851. National was second, Alamo came in third– and note that all three are part of the same company, Enterprise Holdings. Hertz (which also owns Dollar and Thrifty) ranked fourth. Avis, which also owns Budget, ranked fifth.

Which car rental company do you use most often? Have your rental car habits changed much lately? Noticing cheaper rates? Please leave your comments below. 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Hate crowds? Here’s when to avoid business trips

Business travel surges the week before Thanksgiving.  (Photo: Mineta San Jose Airport)

You’d think that as the Thanksgiving holidays approach, business travel would slow down. And during Thanksgiving week it does. But the week before Thanksgiving, you’ll see the year’s biggest crowds of business travelers, according to a new report.

Concur, a company that specializes in tracking business travelers’ expenses, did a day-by-day analysis of business travel volume over the course of a full year, and found that the Wednesday and Thursday of the week before Thanksgiving were the busiest days of the year for business travelers. (This year, that’s November 15 and 16.)

Of course, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after are some the busiest days overall, but most of that traffic is from leisure travelers.

But there’s significant surge among business travelers that week before: The company said the number of business travelers on the road during those days is 58 percent higher than on the average weekday. Also, the bulk of travelers during those two busiest days are infrequent business travelers, Concur said, who take only one to three business trips a year.

Weekly levels of business travel; the red line is average. (Image: Concur)

The level of business trips drops below average during Thanksgiving week and the following week, the study found, and the lowest volumes of the entire year came during the last two weeks of December and the first week of January. (The number of business trips during the week between Christmas and New Year’s was 86 percent below the average week.)

By contrast, the weeks with the highest above-average levels of business trips came from early September through early November. Looking at full months rather than weeks, July was the slowest month for company trips, while October and November were the busiest.

July is the slowest month. (Image: Concur)

And where are road warriors going during their busy season? During the busiest travel dates, Concur said, the busiest domestic air travel routes, in order, are Chicago-New York, New York-Los Angeles, Dallas-Chicago, New York-San Francisco and Boston-New York. The busiest international routes are New York-London, San Francisco-London, Toronto-New York, Toronto-Chicago and Boston-London.

Concur offers these additional tips for business travel:

  • The earlier in November you travel, the better. So start planning your pre-holiday travel now.
  • If meetings and clients allow, shift your travel days to Mondays, Tuesdays or Fridays.
  • Consider alternate local airports beyond the traditional major hubs.
  • Avoid costly last-minute fares by booking between eight to 14 days in advance. After that, prices tend to jump 44%.

Where will YOU be this Thanksgiving? Which days will you avoid? Please leave your comments below. 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Virgin’s version of hyperloop high-speed travel

Sir Richard Branson inspects a Hyperloop One tunnel. (Image: Virgin Hyperloop One)

Now that he has finished selling off most of his various airline investments, Sir Richard Branson is burnishing his reputation as a transportation maverick by betting on hyperloop travel as the next big thing.

Branson said his Virgin Group has made an investment in fast-travel startup Hyperloop One. He didn’t say how much he invested, but it was enough to secure a change in the Los Angeles-based company’s name to Virgin Hyperloop One.

What’s a hyperloop? It’s a transportation system that sends passenger (or cargo) pods through a low-pressure tube, using magnetic levitation to accelerate the pods to airline-like speeds. Virgin already has a test track outside of Las Vegas, and it estimates its pods will eventually zip along at speeds of up to 670 mph, or two to three times faster than existing high-speed or magnetic levitation trains.


Virgin’s company is not to be confused with a competing technology effort launched by futurist Elon Musk, the developer of Tesla electric cars and SpaceX rocket launching systems (similar to Branson’s Virgin Galactic company). Musk recently launched a venture called The Boring Company to dig low-cost tunnels that could reduce traffic congestion in urban areas. Such tunnels “would also make Hyperloop adoption viable and enable rapid transit across densely populated regions, enabling travel from New York to Washington DC in less than 30 minutes,” The Boring Company says on its website.

Branson concedes on the Virgin Group website that this technology is still “in the early stages of the commercialization phase,” but noted that the company is “working on exciting projects in the Middle East, Europe, India, Canada and the U.S.”  He seems to have his eye on the U.K., predicting that the technology could mean a 50-minute trip from London to Edinburgh.

Related: New York to California in 45 minutes? Maybe 

Virgin Hyperloop One recently held a competition to determine the best places to build its first commercial tracks, and narrowed down the entries to 10 finalists. The 10 included U.S. routes linking Miami-Orlando; a Colorado system from Cheyenne, Wyo, to Pueblo, Co. via Denver with a side track from Denver to Vail; a Dallas-Laredo-Houston route; and Chicago-Columbus-Pittsburgh. Finalist routes outside the U.S. include Bengaluru-Chennai and Mumbai-Chennai in India; Toronto-Montreal in Canada; Glasgow-Liverpool and Edinburgh-London in the U.K.; and Mexico City-Guadalajara in Mexico.

A passenger/cargo pod. (Image: Virgin Hyperloop One)

Hyperloop One says its goal  is to have “operational systems by 2021.”

What will the Hyperloop One experience be like for passengers? “About the same as riding in an elevator or a passenger plane,” the company says. “Although Hyperloop will be fast, the systems we are building will accelerate with the same tolerable G forces as that of taking off in a Boeing 747. With Hyperloop you will be accelerating and decelerating gradually and, depending on the route, we will incorporate banking into our designs to eliminate G forces even more. And there’s no turbulence.”

How likely do you think travel by hyperloop will be in our lifetime? What do you think of Virgin’s involvement? Please leave your comments below. 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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New: Take a bus to your plane at SFO

Remote stand Turkish Airlines

Remote stands are common in Europe, like this one a Istanbul Ataturk Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

To help meet the feverish demand for gate space, Virgin America and Alaska Airlines started using a remote stand at San Francisco International last month.

Remote stands are a lot more common overseas than they are in the U.S. where nearly every flight loads and unloads passengers via enclosed jetways at each gate. Instead, passengers take a bus (usually crowded) across the airport apron to or from a plane parked at a remote “stand.” At the plane, passengers use portable (or built-in) stairs to get to or from the doorway.

Remote stands are different from open air boarding at the gate seen at many smaller airports. These stands are usually located far from the gate and require a sometimes lengthy bus ride.  (Last year at Heathrow, I was on one for about 20 minutes!)

Airport bus stands

Remote stands require a bus ride to or from the airport terminal (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

When flying down to Los Angeles last week I peered out the window of the plane and saw an Alaska Air Embraer parked at a remote stand with a passengers boarding via a staircase leading up to the door. A low-slung SFO bus was parked next to it.

Doug Yakel confirmed to TravelSkills that a remote stand has been in use at SFO since mid-August. “Right now, it’s being used by Alaska on a scheduled basis…about 4-5 of their Embraer aircraft per day are operating remote. This is due to the Alaska/Virgin growth, and their efforts to operate more in a single terminal, along with the fact that Terminal 1 is under construction right now.”

The bus runs from SFO’s gate 59 in Terminal 2.

Ryanair stairs Mykonos

In Greece, this Ryanair 737 uses its own built-in stairs for passenger access at the front, and portable stairs at the back. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Most travelers dislike remote stands since since they add a delay to the airport boarding/deboarding experience. I’m not sure how they comply with ADA requirements. Plus wind and rain can make using them less than comfortable. However as an aviation geek I find it exhilarating to be out on the ramp on a clear day with engines roaring and the smell of jet fuel in the air… but that’s just me 🙂

On the upside, remote stands do allow airlines to add new service or flights, and reduce the increasingly frequent and irritating “wait for the gate” type delays upon arrival.

What are your thoughts on remote stands? Have you used one at SFO yet? Anywhere else? Please leave your comments below.

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Like Delta, United to implement bump auctions

When checking in for your next United flight, you might get a surprise in October (Image: United)

Starting in October, when you check in for your United flight online or at a kiosk, you might be asked how much you’d be willing to take to give up your seat.

Following Delta’s lead (again), United is set to implement a new bidding process for bumps.

So when you check in for an overbooked flight, you’ll be asked if you are interested in being put on a list of potential volunteers– and if so, for how much. You’ll then be offered three different dollar amounts (in travel credits, not cash) to volunteer your seat.

If United is forced to involuntarily bump passengers, it will choose from the list of lowest bidders. But don’t get your hopes up for much of a jackpot. After the David Dao dragging incident, involuntary bumpings are down at United (and all carriers).

This week Brian Sumers from the Skift travel website tweeted an image of what that screen could look like:

(Image: Brian Sumers)

This probably sounds like deja vu to Delta fliers who know that the airline rolled out a similar plan six years ago.

Here’s what we wrote on TravelSkills about the introduction of Delta’s bidding for bumps process way back in 2011:

Have you tried Delta’s new bidding for bumps process at check in? Instead of the old process where Delta would ask for volunteers and start the bidding over the PA system at the gate, the carrier now asks passengers as they check in (online or at kiosks) if they’d be willing to give up their seat and take a later flight. Once you say yes, you are then asked for the minimum amount you’d be willing to accept in exchange for your seat.

Your offer is then sent to gate agents and added to a list of other volunteers, with the lowest bids at the top. If your bid is accepted, gate agents will call you to the podium to discuss the flight options they can offer (standby or confirmed), as well as extras like meal vouchers or upgrades.  At that point, you can accept or refuse their offer. If you refuse, they just move on to the next lowest bidder (if there is one).

Delta has had bump auctions in place since 2011 (Image: JohnnyJet)

Last April, PBS News Hour did a special report on How Delta Masters the Game of Overbooking Flights, which could have been the impetus for United to get on board with a similar plan.

What’s the most money (or credit) you’ve ever scored from a voluntary or involuntary bumping? Please leave it in the comments. 

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Aloha Delta 747

Delta’s final 747 flight to LAX from Honolulu SEE VIDEO AT BOTTOM OF PAGE (Image: Delta)

Remember Delta’s final domestic 747 flight from LAX to Detroit a few weeks back? You know, the same beautiful bird that was looking forward to retirement, but was put back into duty to help evacuate Florida as Hurricane Irma approached? Yes, that one.

Well before that plane arrived in Los Angeles, it received the royal treatment in Hawaii, and Delta made a fun video about the affair.  What many of you may not know is that Delta has been running a 747 between Honolulu and Japan for many years. There’s a lot of love for the old bird in Hawaii as you’ll see in the video above where Delta employees made her a giant lei for big send off. There were gate and Sly Club lounge parties including food, drink and dancing. Also, a group of Delta Diamond Medallion flyers bought out the entire business class section (including the upper deck or “bubble”) for the trip.

Related: Reader Report- Final ride on a Delta 747

A gate party including cake celebrating the final domestic 747 flight (Image: Delta)

Here’s what Delta’s News hub wrote about the flight:

Employees in Honolulu paid tribute to the aircraft, which regularly operated the Honolulu-Narita route, with traditional Hawaiian customs by fashioning a maile lei big enough to fit over the top of the aircraft as a sign of respect. The team also held a gate celebration, and several employees held back tears as the group sang Aloha Oe and watched the aircraft depart Honolulu for the last time.

The Los Angeles team also had a chance to say their goodbyes to the “Queen of the Skies.” Employees lined the ramp at LAX and waved orange wands as it made its late-night departure to Detroit. Employees in Detroit met the aircraft when it landed, though the 747 will continue flying through Detroit for a few more months.

First look deep inside a Delta 747- parked in Atlanta! 

Final flight touching down in LA (Image: Delta)

A group of 50 Delta Diamond Medallion customers joined in on the festivities as well. When one member of a Diamond Medallion Facebook group saw that the 747 would be flying two domestic legs, he notified other members of the group, who jumped at the chance to take one last flight on the aircraft. The group booked nearly the entire Delta One cabin and some of the Main Cabin as well, and they flew in from all over the country to catch one last ride on the 747.

​​Additionally, employees in Los Angeles hosted a reception for the group in the Delta Sky Club, and each member of the group received model 747 aircraft as a parting gift. All customers on the flight received commemorative ear buds in celebration of the final scheduled domestic flight.

SEE THE VIDEO HERE

Delta 747 (and Porsche!) at LAX (Image: Delta)

Delta expects the remaining 747s in its fleet to be retired by the end of 2017. The retiring aircraft will be replaced by the Airbus A350, which will be Delta’s flagship international aircraft and the first to feature the airline’s all-new Delta One Suite, the world’s first business class cabin to feature a sliding door, as well as Delta Premium Select, a new premium economy experience. Delta will take delivery of five A350s in 2017 with more coming in 2018.

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Award travel prices: United’s are up, Delta’s down

Delta

Domestic award travel costs on Delta have dropped almost 20 percent since 2013. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A new analysis of award travel costs among U.S. airlines that base their loyalty programs on dollars spent shows some big changes in the past few years – with good news for Delta’s flyers and bad news for United’s.

The study by IdeaWorks Company and CarTrawler looked at how average reward travel prices paid in points/miles changed from 2013 to 2017. It found that the average reward price for a domestic roundtrip on Delta fell by 19.1 percent, from 28,964 miles to 23,443 — the result of “a genuine effort” by Delta to reduce award prices, IdeaWorks said. On United, however, the average price jumped by 28.7 percent, from 26,357 to 33,929.

The proportion of United domestic award flight queries priced at 25,000 miles or less dropped from 83 percent four years ago to 43 percent this year, the study found.

The price of American Airlines’ domestic award tickets fell by just 2.3 percent over the four-year period, from 31,071 miles to 30,357.

But reward travel prices on the Big Three were far higher than on the airlines that ranked first and second on the cost chart: The cost of a JetBlue flight inched up half a percent, from 15,774 TrueBlue points in 2014 to 15,849 this year. And for first-place Southwest, the price fell by less than a point, from 9,353 to 9,300 Rapid Rewards points.

Source: IdeaWorks

Why the big difference? “The pay-with-points method (JetBlue and Southwest) links reward prices to prevailing air fares,” IdeaWorks said.  “Program members can seek out low reward prices on flights that have lower fares. Reward prices adjust to demand in the same way fares have since supersaver rates were introduced decades ago. The mileage-based method is far less precise and typically ranges from 25,000 to 50,000 miles for a roundtrip domestic US reward.” However, it added that the Big Three are now “embracing more graduated pricing methods which removes the predictability of the traditional 25,000-mile and 50,000-mile classic reward option.”

Besides costing the customer less for award flights, Southwest and JetBlue are also more generous for non-elite economy flyers, IdeaWorks noted, both providing six program points per dollar spent, vs. five miles per dollar for the Big Three.

Southwest offers the best award travel deals for non-elite flyers. (Image: Jim Glab)

The above analysis changes considerably for elite-level frequent flyers, the company said, because they accrue points/miles at a higher level. Thus “ultra-frequent travelers may realize better reward value” from United, Delta and American.

Alaska was not included in the study because it still bases its loyalty program on the traditional miles-flown method. IdeaWorks noted that the average price paid for reward travel on Alaska this year was 18,500 miles, which would have placed it third, after Southwest and JetBlue.

What’s been your experience when it comes to redeeming miles over the last year? Please leave your comments below. 

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TravelSkills: Staying safe while abroad [Infographic]

phone selfie

Relaxed, fun-loving selfie takers should remain wary of cell phone snatchers on summer trips (Photo: Whitey Blustein)

Travelers are popular targets for thieves because they carry large amounts of money and expensive electronics, and tend not to keep their guard up when relaxing or exploring a fun new place. They are more vulnerable in physical and social spaces that are not their own. And the probability of a visitor reporting a crime and sticking around to testify is very low.

Peak summer travel season is here. With low transoceanic airfares and a strong U.S. dollar, more Americans than ever have summer plans abroad. Does that include you? Or someone you love? Then it’s time to spend a few minutes to consider the new risks of international travel, and familiarize yourself with the customs, and potential dangers, of where you are going.

Don’t let these warnings scare you away from seeing the world… remember, you are likely as much at risk in your home town as you are in another country.

This morning Mike’s Gear Reviews sent us a helpful infographic that should help get you started in preparing for international trips. It’s packed full of helpful TravelSkills, such as:

>Check country specific information and alerts at the US State Department’s website for travelers travel.state.gov. I also like the reports from the CIA World Factbook, the U.K. Home Office Travel Abroad site (which also offers specific country advice) and Australian Foreign Affairs Office SmarterTraveller site.

>You might get harassed by locals in Middle Eastern countries if you are perceived as not being conservative and sensitive to Islamic culture.

>It’s not on Mike’s list, but never leave your mobile phone, tablet or laptop exposed on an outdoor cafe table in Europe. I’ve seen so many of them snatched, sometimes violently.

>In Central and South America criminals may use drugs to temporarily incapacitate victims, so don’t leave food or drink unattended.

Related: Finally! Cheaper, easier roaming options while abroad

>In Asia, you might be scammed into having tea with a “friendly” local, and then be left with an exorbitant tab. (I’ve heard of this one before… typically the friendly local says that he or she would like to practice English with you.)

>If confronted by criminals in Africa, always clearly display your hands and don’t make sudden moves that could be interpreted as resistance.

>Emergency phone numbers vary around the world. While we dial 911 in the U.S. and Canada, in Europe it’s 112, in Australia, 000. In Mexico, it’s 060. Know the number before you go!

What safety tips would you offer international travelers this summer? Please leave them in the comments.

Source: https://www.mikesgearreviews.com/safety-tips-traveling-infographic/

What safety tips would you offer international travelers this summer? Please leave them in the comments.


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Cheaper one-way or roundtrip? The old rules are changing

flight board

Should you buy a roundtrip ticket or two one-ways?. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

For a long time, it has been part of air travel orthodoxy that it’s always a lot less expensive to buy a roundtrip ticket to your destination than two one-way tickets. But times are changing.

A new study from the Airlines Reporting Corporation – which serves as a clearinghouse for all travel agency ticket sales – determined that old belief “is simply no longer true” in many cases.

This was no small-time analysis: ARC said it evaluated three years of data covering more than 350 million tickets.

It found that since 2014, the so-called “one-way fare premium” – i.e. the increased cost of buying two one-way tickets vs. one roundtrip on the same itinerary – has shrunk to nearly zero in almost one-third of the 200 busiest U.S. air travel markets, whereas in years past it would have cost as much as 50 percent more for two one-ways vs. a roundtrip.

The cost differential fell to near zero in scores of markets. (Image: ARC)

The one-way premium remains stubbornly in place in other markets. ARC said that was the case for selected markets including flights to and from San Francisco, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Washington Reagan National, among others. In those markets, “the one-way premium has been around $50 per direction and has remained largely unchanged over the study period,” ARC said.

But it dropped dramatically in other select markets, including flights to and from Newark, Dallas/Ft. Worth, LaGuardia, and Los Angeles, the study found. For some markets, like Denver and Boston, the one-way premium stayed in place for flights to or from some destinations but dropped off in others.

“The effect is based on market and not individual airports or airlines,” ARC noted.

One-way tickets are increasing their share of total sales. (Image: ARC)

As the cost differential withered away in many markets, ARC noted a corresponding shift in traveler purchasing practices: The percentage of one-way tickets sold jumped from 29 percent of all tickets in 2014 to 42 percent so far this year. But that increase was not equal among all market segments.

ARC said most of the increase in one-way ticket purchases came from leisure travelers and unmanaged business travelers (i.e., those who make their own purchase decisions without any company rules or guidelines). For “managed” business travelers, the shift to more one-way ticketing “has been almost non-existent,” ARC said.

But it also noted that the shift to a greater percentage of one-way ticket purchases held true no matter how far in advance the tickets were bought.

“While there are many reasons behind when and how travel is ticketed for corporate travelers, there may be situations where opportunities are missed for increased flexibility and even travel cost savings. By looking deeper into the options for one-way tickets cost savings and other benefits may be available to travelers,” ARC said.

The organization cautioned travelers that before they switch from roundtrip to one-way ticket purchases, they should consider how likely they are to require a change in their plans. “If the full itinerary is changed, the traveler may incur two change fees, and that may make roundtrip ticketing a better option in some cases,” ARC said. “However, ticketing an outbound non-refundable and a return refundable flight can in some cases only be done using the one-way ticket option because most restrictive fare rules are usually applied to an entire ticket when booked as a roundtrip.”

You can see the full report here.

Readers: Do you always check out both one-way and roundtrip pricing? Which do you usually buy? Do you have any tips or tricks to share on the issue?

oICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Helping travelers on the worst days of their lives

Sometimes you need to call in special ops to get out of a travel bind (Image: Redpoint Resolutions)

It’s time. Time to unload that big bank of frequent flyer miles you’ve been sitting on and take the trip of a lifetime. Around the world in business class. Maybe a big safari in Africa, a treacherous trip to Antarctica, or a five-star train trip and trek across India and Nepal.

That all sounds grand, but who would come to your rescue if something went wrong on that big, far-flung trip? Who would come pluck you out of a civil war in Africa or send in a medical team if your heart flutters and you’re short of breath as your Zodiac boat approaches the shores of Antarctica?

That’s something you should think about when planning a big bucket list trip.

Maybe you’re on a trek in Nepal when an earthquake hits like Jerry Rhodes and Mel Kaida were– stranded near Mount Everest after a 7.8 magnitude quake hit in 2015. Faced with what appeared to be no way out, they called in Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance, which found a way to extract their group using a Russian military helicopter. “It was like an angel coming down, it was amazing,” Kaida said recalling their experience in this video:

Redpoint Resolutions is a unique medical and travel risk security company owned and operated by special operations veterans and Stanford-affiliated physicians. It works with large organizations as well as individual travelers who need someone to call when trips go awry in far away places. Based in the Bay area, it now protects nearly 10 million travelers around the world.

I recently had a very interesting conversation with Redpoint Vice President Tom Bochnowski, about founding this unusual company how its rescue operations work.

How’d you get started in this business?

I started my professional career after college as an officer in the U.S. Army. After leaving the Army, I earned my MBA from Dartmouth College. I returned to Silicon Valley (where I grew up) and after working for technology companies for a couple of years, I realized I needed to be part of an organization that made a significant difference in people’s lives every day with a similar sense of shared purpose that I felt in the military. So, I left my technology job and started a security consulting firm with several other military veterans that eventually evolved into Redpoint Resolutions and our consumer travel insurance programs: Ripcord and Cavalry.

Redpoint vice president Tom Bochnowski at Mt Kilimanjaro (Image: Redpoint)

I’m incredibly honored to be surrounded by such talented people on our team, from paramedics, nurses, physicians and military veterans, to travel specialists, marketing professionals and client service experts. Working with this team and helping people when they’re having one of the worst days of their lives is incredibly exhilarating and gives me an undeniable sense of purpose.

What’s the most unusual or memorable rescue your company has completed?

One of them has to be the rescue last summer of one of our clients on a safari in the Central African Republic who had come under fire from members of the Lord’s Resistance Army. He was taking a break when soldiers started firing automatic weapons at him and at his Land Cruiser. As he escaped in his shot-up vehicle, we organized an extraction team, and ultimately flew him out of a bush airstrip on a twin-prop plane.

The most remote one would probably be our medical evacuation earlier this year of a client experiencing heart problems in Antarctica. We dispatched a critical care paramedic to meet him at his boat off an island by the Antarctic Peninsula, and medically evacuated him home to Ohio.

As far as mountain rescues go, it’s hard to choose the most dramatic one between frostbite cases at Mount Everest’s Camp 2 (21,000 ft. elevation), high-altitude pulmonary edema on Kilimanjaro, injured legs on K2, etc. We do a lot of those and they all involve helicopters rescuing climbers from potentially life-threatening situations.

What is Redpoint Resolutions, and why should frequent travelers know about it?

Both Ripcord and Cavalry combine elite medical and security evacuation services with travel insurance benefits such as trip cancellation, trip interruption, lost baggage, primary medical expense coverages, and will evacuate clients to their home hospital of choice when hospitalized (unlike standard travel insurance plans, neither requires the foreign treating physician to approve evacuation based on medical necessity). The difference between the two is that Ripcord also includes rescue from the point of injury or illness in remote areas. That is, if you’re hurt on a mountaintop, for example, or injured on a motorcycle in the middle of the desert, or on safari in Africa, our medical or security teams will come to get you. It’s very different than how standard travel insurance works.

How are Ripcord and Cavalry different from other travel insurance policies?

Other travel insurance policies will typically evacuate you for a medical condition if it is deemed medically necessary by the foreign treating physician, covering your transport to the “nearest appropriate hospital.” Neither Ripcord nor Cavalry requires the local treating physician to authorize evacuation based on medical necessity. Instead Ripcord and Cavalry empower the client to make care decisions on where they want to be treated. Ripcord is for remote travel, Cavalry is for travelers going to developed locations with access to local paramedics, ambulances and hospitals.

How much does it cost?

It varies, but an individual, annual Ripcord medical evacuation plan is $312, while an annual Cavalry medical evacuation program is $265. There are short-term policies for single trips starting at $95 for Cavalry, $115 for Ripcord. Comprehensive travel insurance policies are calculated based on the dollar value of the trip you’d like to cover and your age. For more information see this.

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 

 


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Delta, TSA test fingerprints as boarding passes

TSA is testing fingerprint ID verification for PreCheck members at Denver and Atlanta. (Image: TSA)

In the latest efforts to test biometric identifiers for airline passengers, the Transportation Security Administration this week started using fingerprint scanners to verify identities at the Atlanta and Denver airports, and Delta said it will work with Customs and Border Protection on a test of facial recognition technology at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson and New York JFK.

TSA said its tests will be conducted at one PreCheck lane at Atlanta and one at Denver. TSA already has electronic fingerprints of persons who joined PreCheck, and it will match those records with a fingerprint scan taken at the checkpoint to verify identity. The technology also precludes the need for a boarding pass.

“Once the technology finds a fingerprint match, it is able to obtain the passenger’s boarding pass information through Secure Flight,” TSA said. “Participation is voluntary and all passengers who choose to participate will then be subject to the standard ticket document checking process of showing their boarding pass and identification document.” The technology ultimately could automate the document checking process by eliminating the need for an ID check and a boarding pass, TSA noted.

Delta said its facial recognition testing with CBP will be used this summer for passengers departing on international flights. Passengers at the test gates will have an image of their face captured by a camera at the same time they self-scan their boarding pass. The technology will compare the individual’s identity as verified by the facial scan with itinerary information in Delta’s ticketing database.

Here’s a look at Delta’s facial recognition gates at JFK’s Terminal 4 (Image: Delta)

“Upon successful screening at JFK, the eGate will open for individual customers to pass into the boarding area,” Delta said. “In Atlanta, a self-contained unit will capture and verify customer’s identity before the customer continues on to boarding. All customer data is securely managed by CBP.”

The JFK test started this week at Delta’s Gate B24, and will be deployed at Atlanta’s gates E10 and E12 later this summer.

JetBlue recently announced similar testing of facial recognition technology for its flights from Boston to Aruba starting this month, and Delta is testing fingerprint scans for entry to its Sky Club at Washington Reagan National for SkyMiles members who also participate in the CLEAR trusted traveler program.

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Global travelers shrug off political, terror concerns

No sign of a Trump Slump yet in international visitor arrivals to the U.S. (Image: Jim Glab)

The U.S. travel industry has been predicting a “Trump slump” – i.e., a drop-off in foreign visitors due to the Administration’s tougher entry policies – and terrorist events in Europe were also expected to inhibit international travel. But so far, none of that seems to be happening.

U.S. travel officials expected to see evidence of the so-called Trump slump starting in April, following the Administration’s attempts – subsequently thwarted by the courts – to ban arrivals from several Muslim-majority countries and to generally impose “extreme vetting” on foreign arrivals.

But the U.S. Travel Association (USTA) said this week that instead of dropping, the number of foreign visitors to the U.S. actually increased in April by 4 percent over the same month a year ago.

USTA president Roger Dow admitted that the organization is “surprised” by that increase, citing it as ”evidence of the U.S. travel sector’s remarkable resilience.” Still, he urged the Trump Administration to make it clear that foreign visitors are still welcome.

“Even though we’re encouraged by these strong figures, we’ll continue to urge the administration to more publicly send the message that while the U.S. is closed to terror, it remains open for business,” Dow said. “We should not take it for granted that this trend will sustain, and the 15.3 million American jobs that depend on travel are not worth putting at risk. A simple and clear welcome message will go a long way in that regard.”

That rise in international arrivals did not hold true in all markets. April arrivals from the U.K. were down 6 percent – and that was well before the latest flap between Trump and London’s mayor. The U.S. ban on in-cabin laptops on flights from the Middle East and North Africa is also likely hurting traveler numbers in those markets, as evidenced by Emirates’ recent decision to scale back flight frequencies to the U.S.

Terror events in Europe haven’t hurt tourism either. (Image: Jim Glab)

The travel industry news website Skift.com reported a similar finding from the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – the leading global airline trade organization — this week in Cancun. Skift interviewed airline CEOs from Europe and Latin America and found no indications of a Trump slump in their traffic to the U.S.

Bloomberg News was also at the IATA conference, and its interviews with the chiefs of International Airlines Group (parent of British Airways and Iberia) and Lufthansa likewise found no evidence that that the latest terror attacks in Europe were having a negative impact on inbound traffic. Similar events in previous years were usually followed by a fall-off in visitors.

“It would be terrible if people start just considering that this is routine or normal, but we haven’t seen an impact on bookings,” IAG CEO Willie Walsh told Bloomberg News. “In the past, we would expect it to have some impact, but we haven’t seen anything.”

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Add buffer days to avoid travel burnout

Using a buffer day I took a tour of the West Point campus after a business trip to NYC- this is the main dining hall where cadets wolf down meals in 15 minutes. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

If you travel a lot, you know that the quality and the quantity of your trips can make a big difference in whether you enjoy the experience or not.

And now a new survey of road warriors confirms that too much travel can actually lead to burnout — and a desire to spend less time on the road.

A recent survey explored what it calls “traveler friction,” defined simply as “the wear and tear caused by business travel.” Friction creates heat, and heat creates burnout: The survey found that 15 percent of the 757 business travelers it polled “are nearly burned out on travel.”

Most frequent travelers can handle one or two trips per month, but more than that, especially when trips consistently cut into weekends, and you too could face business travel burn out. And who wants that?

My solution: Just add on an extra day at the beginning and/or end of your business trips or vacations.

Since it’s summertime, we’ll tackle the vacation scenario first.

Puerto Rico

On the beach in Culebra, my favorite place in Puerto Rico (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Let’s say you are taking seven days off for vacation later this summer. Should you leave on day one and return on day seven? That’s a recipe for a stressful vacation. Instead, set up “buffer days” at the beginning and end of your trip.

With this plan, you’ll only spend five days away, but they will be five high-quality days. Spend the first day of your vacation time packing, completing errands and getting your head into vacation mode. Then depart on day two. Spend five glorious days in your destination, and return home on day six. Then spend day seven as a buffer day ramping back up for work, cleaning up your email box, getting your calendar in order, and of course, unpacking and doing laundry.

When you get back to work, you’ll definitely have a nice vacation glow inside and out.

The same thing goes for business trips. When your company or client is sending you across the country or around the world on their dime, arrive a day early or stay a day late and add a day of leisure to your business trip.

For example, last winter I had to fly to New York City for a two-day meeting. Instead of flying all the way back to California right after the meeting, I decided to add on a buffer day. I chose not to fly home tired and worn out on Friday night and instead spent an extra night (Tip: Hotels are much cheaper in New York on Fridays- check on apps like HotelTonight for last minute deals, or call the hotel directly and strike a deal).

The next morning I got up, strolled over to the National Car Rental location in Manhattan and picked up a car for the day. The car was nearly brand new, and the day was brisk and bright. I took off north along the Hudson River for the two-hour ride to West Point to visit my nephew, a cadet there. He took me on a tour of the gorgeous and historic campus (pictured above), we had a burrito outside the school gates, and I was back on the road headed to Newark Airport that afternoon for my flight back to San Francisco.

What a great experience! Plus I saved my company a bundle by flying home on Saturday instead of Friday.

The area in and around Denver’s historic Union Station is the locus for a redevelopment boom downtown (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I was recently in Denver to report on new hotels there for BBC. When I was there, the city’s new rail link connecting downtown to the airport had not opened.

So I rented a car at Denver International, drove downtown and parked it while checking out the city’s latest and greatest hotels, restaurants and its newly refurbished Union Station. When my reporting was complete, I did not head home. Instead, I added on an extra day and used my rental car for a nostalgic trip up to Boulder, about 30 minutes north of the city, where I attended the University of Colorado back in the 1980s.

I had a ball cruising past my old haunts and taking a walk through the leafy campus on a fall day. I had a famous “Sinkburger” then drove back to the airport, dropped off the car and flew back to SFO with a big smile on my face.

Adding buffer days has become something of a habit for me– and I must admit it’s easier for me since I’m own my company and call the shots. No need to ask or permission from anyone. For example, I recently added on a day to a business trip to Atlanta to climb up nearby Stone Mountain—a huge slab of granite east of the city that nearly every plane landing at Hartsfield-Jackson International must circle around at least once (pictured above). Months before that, I jumped in a rental car in London, and made a fascinating and outdoorsy day trip out to Stonehenge.

What about you? How do you avoid traveler burnout? Have you made a habit of adding on buffer days to your vacations and business trips? Please leave your comments below. 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Love or hate your company’s travel policy?

Penny-pinching travel policies can make employees resentful and unhappy. (Image: Jim Glab)

Does your company impose harsh restrictions on your travel bookings and spending in the interest of saving money? A new study suggests that approach could be costing more than it saves.

The stresses imposed on road warriors by strict company travel policies can result in employees who are disgruntled, less productive, less healthy, and more inclined to seek employment elsewhere according to a new report from the Airlines Reporting Corporation, which processes ticket payments from travel agencies.

The survey of 750 business travelers contrasted the experience of working for companies with “cost-focused” travel policies vs. those with “traveler-focused” programs – i.e., policies aimed at keeping travelers productive and satisfied.

Concentrating on strict cost controls often results in what the report calls ‘travel friction” – i.e., needless frustrations and aggravations on the road that contribute to less effective business results. Examples: requiring travelers to book a less expensive connecting flight when non-stops are available; prohibiting business class bookings on long-haul flights; and limiting hotel choices.

For example, 82 percent of the travelers in cost-focused programs said they sleep much better at home than on the road; only 53 percent of those with traveler-focused programs said so. Likewise, three-fourths of cost-focused travelers said it’s hard for them to maintain a healthy lifestyle when traveling, vs. just 32 percent in the traveler-focused group. Two-thirds of the cost-focused travelers said they sometimes get sick or need time off due to their heavy travel schedules; the comparable rate for traveler-focused programs was just 29 percent.

Asked what portion of their trips they considered to be worthwhile from a business standpoint, those in traveler-focused programs cited 82 percent, on average, vs. 60 percent for those in cost-focused programs.

You can see the full report here.

Tweaks to spending rules can lead to improved productivity on the road. (Image: Delta)

Perhaps most tellingly, three-fourths of the cost-focused travelers said they hoped to be traveling less two years from now; only 35 percent of those in traveler-focused programs said the same.

The report suggested that the biggest drawback of focusing on strict cost controls for travelers is that it can motivate some of a company’s most valuable employees to leave – and replacing them can be extremely expensive.

“Designing a traveler-focused travel program can help companies retain top talent, especially in sales, account management and technical positions with valuable relationships and specialized areas of knowledge,” the report said. “As an added benefit, it also makes the company far more attractive to potential employees.”

The survey asked travelers in both groups what kinds of changes in policy would make their trips easier to take. Here are the results:

Readers: Do you work for a company with a travel policy that is cost focused, or traveler focused? Love it or hate it? Please leave your comments below. 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Get ready: Busy summer ahead

Airport gate crowd

Will this be the busiest summer travel season…ever? Maybe (Photo: Chris McGinnis

For the past three years, we’ve seen one blockbuster summer after the other… with each season breaking records in terms of the number of travelers on the road and in the skies. It’s been crazy out there. But despite the heat and the crowds, we’ve all survived, had great vacations or business trips, and returned home safely.

This year, I predict we’ll see a similarly busy summer, but with some differences you should know about.

First, let’s take a look at demand, which remains healthy. How healthy? Well, according to Best Western Hotels & Resorts, advance bookings for peak summer season at its 2,000+ hotels in the U.S. are up 6.9 percent compared to this time last year.  Plus, travelers are staying longer— the number of room nights booked at Best Western’s U.S. hotels is up 9.9 percent. Advance bookings are even stronger in Canada– up 14.8 percent compared to last year, and room nights booked are up 20.5 percent.

Airlines in the U.S. will see a very busy season, too, with a record 234.1 million passengers expected in June, July and August, which is four percent more passengers than last summer according Airlines for America, the industry trade group. It also says that the nation’s airports will handle 100,000 more passengers per day than last summer. More competition and lower fuel costs are resulting in airfares that are flat to down slightly compared to last summer, which is attracting more flyers.

Consumers have spent $19 billion on airfare year-to-date, a 4.3% rise over the year-earlier period, according to the Airlines Reporting Corp.

Peak season hotel bookings in the U.S. are likely up due to a strong economy and increased interest in road trips after the string of airline customer service snafus exposed in social media this spring. In addition, low gasoline prices are making road trips an even more attractive option. A May 2017 Gasbuddy.com survey of 1,500 users found that 82 percent plan to take a road trip this year- that’s up 7 percent over last year. Gasbuddy points out that the normal springtime gasoline price increase was only 1.5 cents this year compared to the average spring season increase of 47 cents.

(Source: Gasbuddy.com)

With summer just around the corner, let’s take a look at the trends that will shape our travel experiences over the next four months.

First, expect a mass migration from the U.S. to Europe this summer. Transatlantic airfares have hit new lows due to increased competition from low fare carriers forcing established carriers to match the discounts. These days airlines can lower fares relatively painlessly because they are paying so little for jet fuel. In addition to airfares, the U.S. dollar is still very strong against European currencies, making summer trips across the pond even cheaper for Americans. The opposite is true in Europe, where a strong dollar is forcing Europeans to reconsider summer trips to the U.S. Lower demand from Europeans means lower airfares for Americans as airlines scramble to keep seats full.

Lower demand from Europeans should also help keep prices low in the U.S. cities and regions historically attractive to Europeans- think New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami and the desert Southwest.

TIPS:

Be Flexible: Did you know that most Friday and Saturdays in July and August now outrank Thanksgiving as the busiest air travel days of the year? With demand like that, you can always expect to pay top dollar during the peak season, which generally runs about June 20 through August 20. If you have the flexibility to book summer business or vacation trips in early June, or late August, you may still find a few “deals.”

Fly midweek: If possible, try to fly on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday to avoid those lengthy lines at airport security checkpoints. Bonus: Fares for midweek trips are usually slightly less than those on more popular weekends.

Last minute: Low demand for European flights (by Europeans) could mean that we’ll see even lower last minute fares on transatlantic routes later this summer. Monitor this by signing up for fare alerts on specific routes on sites like Google Flights or Kayak.

Don’t wait: For domestic trips, make reservations NOW if you have specific dates and destinations in mind. The most convenient flights, the hotel rooms with ocean views, or the right size rental car for your family will likely sell out soon. Get to the front of the line and reserve now to get what you want. Otherwise you could be stuck with inconveniently timed flights, wrong-sized rental cars, or hotel rooms with parking lot views.

Be a smart airfare shopper: Overall transatlantic fares are down about 15 percent compared to last summer according to the Airlines Reporting Corporation. When comparing transatlantic fares, be sure you compare apples to apples. While low fare carriers like Level, Norwegian or Wow may advertise remarkably low fares, be on the lookout for things that more established carriers might include such as:

-Cheap one-way fares for the trip over, but expensive one-way fares for the trip back

-Fees for checked, or in some cases, carry-on bags with charges may apply per leg, which means you’ll pay four fees for a round trip from say, San Francisco to Paris via Reykjavik on Wow Air.

-Advance seat selection, meals, drinks and even bottled water

Go. Get. Rewarded: In addition to spending time with friends, family or colleagues this summer, it’s always nice to earn something more. For example, you can go get rewarded at all Best Western branded hotels this summer, earning a $10 gift card for every night, with no limit on how many nights you stay. Registration is required at BestWestern.com/summer. Plus, Best Western Rewards members save 10 percent when booking direct on bestwestern.com.

Pay more, get more: If you are headed to work when everyone else is going on vacation, treat yourself to an upgrade this summer. You can avoid the flip-flop and beach ball crowd by paying a fee (around $50) for a one-time pass to an airport club, or slightly higher rate for a hotel on a quieter concierge floor. Also, airlines frequently discount first and business class seats during summer months, so they end up not much more expensive than inflated economy class tickets—so don’t forget to compare when searching fares. Most important during summer: Ask for a room that does not face the noisy pool area.

Timing: While transatlantic fares are dropping, domestic fares are inching up. Airlines usually offer some pretty good fares for travelers willing to travel early or late in the summer, but those sales did not materialize this spring. That’s a sign to me that domestic demand is high and airlines don’t feel like the need to discount to fill their seats.

Yosemite

A busy summer ahead, especially at National Parks like Yosemite (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

More cars: Higher fares will push many domestic travelers to the highways instead of the skyways this summer, with low gasoline prices luring them. That means more cars on key summertime routes in or near National Parks, beaches, recreation areas and major cities.

During the peak of the peak season (June 20-August 20) road trippers should always make reservations for roadside hotels a day or two in advance if possible. Otherwise, you may end up finding a full house at the end of a long day and the possibility of having to drive later into the night than you want…or end up sleeping in your car!

Off the beaten path: If you are headed to Europe and don’t like crowds, try to stay away from Paris, London, Rome and Barcelona during the peak of the peak summer season. Consider countries such as Poland or Portugal instead, which you’ll find less crowded and less expensive.

This post originally appeared on Best Western’s YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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Don’t work all weekend: Drive out of town instead

Nothing like a weekend road trip to take your mind off work. (Image: Jim Glab)

One of the big drawbacks of a busy career is working too hard.  A new survey finds that most workers keep plugging away on weekends — when it might be better for their mental and physical health to just drive away from the job for a couple of days.

The study conducted for Enterprise Rent-A-Car found that nearly 70 percent of those polled said they work an average of nine hours at least one weekend a month. And getting away from the job is hard: 63 percent said their employers expect them to work weekends, and 61 percent said they can’t help thinking about work on those precious days off. Two-thirds of those polled said they regularly read and reply to work-related emails on Saturdays and Sundays.

The obsession is more severe among Millennials: Three out of four said they can become consumed with work thoughts over weekends.

What to do? Break away from the routine. Survey respondents said they could significantly improve their weekends by “exploring new places” (54 percent), “getting out of town” (51 percent) or “more weekend trips” (48 percent).

Driving the paved road up Colorado’s 14,000-foot Mt. Evans will literally take you into the clouds. (Image: Jim Glab)

That could be a problem if you don’t have access to wheels. Whether you’re a Millennial who has shunned car ownership thus far, or a road warrior who has relied on Uber rides at your destination, a weekend car rental will let you get out of town and escape the constant tug of the laptop screen.

And you don’t even have to go to the airport for your ride. Enterprise, for instance, has hundreds of neighborhood rental offices around the country where you can quickly pick up a car and be on your way.

Tacking a personal getaway onto a business trip has become increasingly common, so think about extending your next one over a weekend and exploring the nearby region. It will take your mind off work and give you more perspective about the places you travel to.

Sun, sand and surf beckon from California’s beach towns. (Image: Jim Glab)

Rocky Mountains that you can probably see through the window of your meeting rooms. Tip: If you want a real driving adventure, head for Mount Evans (about an hour west of Denver) and drive the sinuous road that takes you to the 14,000-foot summit. It’s the highest paved road in the country, and something you won’t soon forget. Or head to nearby Rocky Mountain National Park for a drive along Trail Ridge Road, which goes up to 12,000 feet across an alpine tundra.

Just wrapping up a week of tedious trade shows in Los Angeles or San Francisco? That’s a no-brainer: A ride up or down the Pacific Coast Highway will really clear the work-related cobwebs out of your head, and provide great backdrops for stunning selfies as you go. (The Enterprise survey also found that two-thirds of the respondents said they tend to share their non-working weekend moments on social media.)

So don’t waste those weekends when new experiences beckon. You know what they say about all work and no play.

This post is sponsored by Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically create posts or send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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Lesson for airlines: Respond to social media

J.D. Power says airline passengers don’t like their social media posts being ignored. (Image: Jim Glab)

Airlines that don’t respond to customer comments on social media could be doing long-term harm to their brand and their business.

That’s one of the findings in the latest J.D. Power and Associates consumer survey on satisfaction with U.S. airlines.

The poll of more than 11,000 air travelers found that social media postings have become the “feedback tool of choice” for passengers. Some 21 percent of business travelers in the survey said they had posted a comment about their airline trip on social media, and so did 8 percent of leisure flyers. And almost three-quarters of all those comments were positive.

“When an airline responds to any social media post – whether it’s positive or negative – there is a noteworthy 121-point lift in passenger satisfaction” regarding that airline, J.D. Power said. The company rates airlines in its survey results on a 1,000-point scale.

It said that the social platform most commonly used by passengers is Facebook (81 percent), followed by Twitter (41 percent). Apparently the takeaway from these numbers is that customers really like to know that their airline listened to them and cared enough to reply. And they resent it when they’re ignored.

Besides having their posts ignored, there are a couple of other things that really bug travelers, the survey found. One is insufficient overhead bin space, cited by 14 percent of respondents who said they had ”an issue” with this. And when they do, their overall satisfaction level with the airline drops by 82 points.

“The problem is inversely related to age, as travelers in younger generations are more likely to experience a problem with overhead storage than are older travelers,” J.D. Power noted (possibly because older travelers have learned through bitter experience what will fit and what won’t).

The other thing is getting bumped from a flight. The levels of involuntary denied boardings have reached “historic lows,” J.D. Power observed, but when they do happen, “they have the greatest negative influence on overall satisfaction.”

Delta

Despite problems, customer satisfaction keeps going up. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Speaking of overall satisfaction, you’d think all the publicity these days about shrinking seat pitch, passenger misbehavior, fights with flight attendants, overcrowded planes and gate areas, etc. would mean a significant drop in passengers’ happiness with the air travel experience.

But J.D. Power found just the opposite: Overall satisfaction with the airlines in the latest survey jumped by 30 points over the previous year, to 756 points, “continuing a trend of steady performance increases that began in 2013.”

The company divides airlines into “traditional” and “low-cost,” although those divisions aren’t what they used to be. The highest-rated “traditional” airline was Alaska (for the tenth year in a row) with a score of 765, followed by Delta at 758. Ranking highest among “low-cost” carriers was Southwest at 807, closely followed by JetBlue at 803.

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U.S. Customs: Show me your phone, or else…

Customs officers are ordering some returning travelers to unlock their phones for data searches.(Image: Jim Glab)

Imagine returning to the U.S. from a long trip and having a customs agent demand your mobile phone password so he or she can inspect its contents. Sounds appalling, but it’s happening these days…

Anecdotal reports suggest that U.S. Customs & Border Protection is becoming more adamant about examining the cell phones of some arriving travelers – including U.S. citizens – and now the American Civil Liberties Union is challenging that practice. In April NPR reported that in 2016, “the number of people asked to hand over their cell phones and passwords by Customs and Border Protection agents increased almost threefold over the year before.”

The ACLU has taken up the case of a U.S. artist named Aaron Gach, who returned to the U.S. at San Francisco International from an exhibition in Europe, and was pulled aside by CBP officers and ordered to unlock his iPhone for a search of its contents. Gach resisted, but finally gave in when he was told that if he didn’t, CBP would keep his phone for an indefinite period.

Gach asked that the CBP officers conduct their search of his phone in his presence, but they refused and searched it in a private area.

The ACLU filed a formal complaint this week with CBP and Homeland Security officials, challenging the agencies’ right to examine phone data without a warrant.

“Even at the border, the search of an electronic device is governed by the Fourth Amendment,” the ACLU wrote. (The Fourth Amendment protects citizens against unlawful searches and seizures.) “…Any such search should be based on a warrant or, at a minimum, probable cause, and be limited in scope to that information relevant to the agency’s legitimate purpose in conducting the search. However, as the unconstitutional search of Mr. Gach’s phone illustrates, CBP’s policies do not in fact include the requirements necessary to guarantee the constitutionality of a device search.”

The ACLU is challenging CBP’s right to search phones without a warrant. (Image: Customs & Border Protection)

The organization noted that the Supreme Court has already held that “a search of an electronic device constitutes a significant intrusion on an individual’s Fourth Amendment privacy interest, and held that searching an electronic device required a warrant even when the search was conducted incident to a lawful arrest. This same principle applies at the border,” ACLU argued.

What’s more, the organization said that CBP itself had issued a directive to its officers that any search of an individual’s phone must be conducted in the person’s presence.

Read more about this issue in this Pro-Publica report & Artnet

The search also likely violated Gach’s First Amendment rights, the ACLU said: “Given the dearth of rules limiting CBP officers’ discretion to inspect and read information contained on or accessible from electronic devices, travelers such as Mr. Gach may justifiably choose not to use their phone to communicate about controversial issues, take photos of artistic works, or maintain a list of professional contacts. In other words, the mere prospect that CBP officers may read information available on digital devices exerts a significant chilling effect on the expression of First Amendment rights.”

The ACLU has become much more active in trying to protect the rights of travelers during the Trump era. It was the ACLU that led the challenge to the Administration’s initial order barring travelers from certain Muslim-majority countries. That order, and a revised version, were blocked by the courts.

Readers: Have you or anyone you know had their phone searched by CBP officers during re-entry to the U.S.? How would you respond if you are ordered to unlock your phone?

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‘Big Data’ tips for saving on summer travel

Start booking soon for best prices on summer vacation travel. (Image: Jim Glab)

Tech giant Adobe has come out with its annual travel report, compiled by sifting through enormous amounts of data from travel booking sites and social media, and it has offered some tips for getting the best deals on summer vacation trips.

For example, Adobe says that travelers looking to save on air fares should book domestic flights 76 to 112 days in advance, and international flights at least 125 days out, “assuming potential flight changes are not an issue.” Also, booking Saturday flights can save an average of 11 percent, while trips scheduled for Mondays can cost 11 percent more.

The absolute busiest travel period this summer (just like every year) will be the four-day Fourth of July holiday, when U.S. consumers will spend $3.7 billion on travel, Adobe said. That’s followed by the Memorial Day weekend ($2.9 billion) and Labor Day weekend ($2.8 billion).

But interestingly, Adobe says that growth in summer travel is down compared to last year. The report says, “Overall spending on summer travel by US consumers will grow by +5.1% (66% lower than last year), totaling $98.02B. Slower growth is mainly coming from nearly flat air and hotel bookings, likely the results of significant price increases. Growth has slowed for airlines and hotels mainly due to nearly flat number of airline reservations and decreasing hotels, but is bolstered by an increase in prices.”

Domestic air travel costs are running 4.8 percent higher than last year. (Image: Jim Glab)

As of March 2017, year-over-year domestic air fare prices have increased by 4.8 percent. International costs have gone up 4.7 percent, Adobe said, with one big exception: Fares for travel from the U.S. to Europe dropped 6.2 percent.

Domestic hotel prices went up by 3.7 percent over the same 12-month period, the report notes, and it recommends booking rooms 33 days in advance for the best price. Because most hotels have lenient cancellation policies “consumers can book earlier, but cancel if a better deal is found at day 33,” Adobe said.

U.S. travelers making domestic trips should see less competition for flights and hotel rooms from foreign visitors, Adobe said, noting that the cost of a trip to the U.S. is about 10 percent higher than it was a year ago. That’s mainly due to a stronger dollar, although “confusion over (U.S. government) travel restrictions may also play a role,” an Adobe spokesperson said. In the first quarter of 2017, international flight bookings to the U.S. from abroad have fallen by 6 percent.

The eclectic Adobe report has some other interesting nuggets about travel trends – car rentals, for instance.  It said that online car rentals in the first quarter of this year were down 14 percent over the same period a year ago, and it points a finger at car-sharing apps. From March to December 2016, Adobe said, social media mentions of Uber increased by 6 million, and during the same period, online car rentals fell by 28 percent – a 2 percent drop in rentals for each 10 percent increase in Uber social mentions.

Here’s where people are going. (Chart: Adobe)

Adobe also tracks destination trends by home market. For San Franciscans, the top domestic destination is Las Vegas, followed by Los Angeles and New York; and for New Yorkers, the top three are Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago.

And wherever or whenever you go, don’t forget to post something about your trip on social media – because everyone else does. Adobe said that every month, there are 14 million mentions of travel on social media – 1.7 times more than mentions of Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift combined.

Speaking of social media, check out Chris’s Instagram feed for some nice images of his spring break in Hawaii!

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On vacation

Chris McGinnis

Hiking along the Na Pali Coast in Kauai (Chris McGinnis)

Hi Folks! TravelSkills is taking a week off for spring break.

I could not resist the last minute deal I discovered: just 45,000 miles roundtrip between San Francisco and Lihue (Kauai, Hawaii)  in economy plus on United. I had been monitoring the United Mileage Plus site for the past few months trolling for great values around spring break and when this one popped up, I jumped! Tickets on SFO-LIH nonstops are normally in the $700-$900 range (and 45K roundtrips relatively rare), so I feel like I scored big on this one.

Weather’s been great and it’s not too crowded since we are now in the “shoulder season.”

We’ll be back online and posting regularly next week.

Start planning your vacation now! Don’t procrastinate. We all need a little time off, right?

Aloha!

Hanging out in #Hawaii #kauai #travel #hanalei

A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on


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A new fare increase for business travelers?

The view from the United Club at ATL (Chris McGinnis)

>Chris discovers that new Basic Economy fares don’t offer much of a discount at all- as a matter of fact, they are a thinly veiled price hike for some  travelers. 

For business and personal reasons, I fly between San Francisco and Atlanta a lot. For an upcoming four-day trip in mid-May I’ve been monitoring fares for the past month or so.

I waited to book this trip until after Easter because airlines usually lower fares for “shoulder season” travel at about this time.

But this year, that does not seem to be happening. As a matter of fact, a new wrinkle emerged this week: Basic economy fares now apply on this route. Even if you don’t fly this route at all, stick with me here, because it could soon apply in just about any market.

Here’s the lay of the land on SFO-ATL: Both Delta and United offer nonstops on the route. Delta offers several per day, and United offers two. Generally the lowest economy fares hover at around $350 roundtrip in economy. I usually favor United when flying this route because it has convenient flight times, and with my elite status, I sit in Economy Plus and occasionally get upgraded to first class for the 4-5 hour flight.

Over the last year Frontier (SFO) and Spirit (Oakland) jumped into the nonstop market with one (or fewer) flights per day. Both have offered some jaw-dropping deals… I’ve seen them as low (or lower) than $200 roundtrip. But of course you have to factor in the ultra-tight seating, fees and possibility of cancellation– reasons I shy away from these flights.

Frontier offers cheap nonstops in the SFO-ATL market (Image: Jim Glab)

For the past month, SFO-ATL roundtrips have sat stubbornly at around $420 on United and Delta. Spirit and Frontier’s fares were higher than normal, too. Around $360. (NOTE: These fares available on April 20 and subject to change.)

When fares did not come down by Tuesday this week, I was ready to throw in the towel and pay $420 on United. But something strange happened on Wednesday morning when I went to make my purchase: That $420 fare had increased to $470 and turned into a “basic economy” fare. If I wanted a regular economy fare, I’d have to pay $520, a $50 premium. On Delta, the basic economy fare was a steep $506, and the upgrade to main cabin was $26, so $532. Nothing cheap about that!

But wait… hold everything. I thought that United and Delta were adding a new low-fare option with basic economy. Not so in this case…both just slapped a basic economy label on the existing lowest fare and raised the standard economy fare. Neither of them actually lowered their fares to compete with Frontier’s lowest fare of $360.

When United pushed out its new fare category, it sounded like fares would come down in these markets— United even says so on its website: We’re introducing a new fare option, called Basic Economy, which is available on select routes and in addition to standard United Economy fares. Created for our customers who may be more price-sensitive, these lower-priced fares provide most of the same inflight services and amenities that are available with standard Economy.

When United introduced the unpopular new fares in Minneapolis earlier this year, president Scott Kirby said, “The launch of our Basic Economy product is transformational –  offering customers seeking the most budget-conscious fares United’s comfortable and reliable travel experience across our unmatched network of destinations. Basic Economy lets you go where you want to go at our lowest available fare while enjoying United’s Economy cabin and the exceptional inflight service that comes with it.”

Meh! In this case, it appears that the introduction of Basic Economy fares is a thinly veiled price hike for business travelers who need things like seat assignments, elite qualifying miles, refunds, overhead bin space and the opportunity to upgrade.

I’ll go ahead and pay the $520 fare, but I’m not happy about it…

Have you encountered a basic economy fare yet? How’d that go for you?

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What travelers need to know about spring 2017

Spring has sprung along California’s western edge- Devil’s Slide, 30 mins south of SF. Regrettably, heavy winter rains have shut down parts of the Pacific Coast Highway (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

1. It’s going to be busy. When I ask Best Western CEO David Kong how the hotel or travel industry is doing, he usually tells me to just look at the stock market. If it is rising, he says, then you can be pretty sure that the travel industry is going to follow suit. So, looking at the records being set on Wall Street this winter with the Dow soaring past 20,000 and staying there, I think we could have one of the busiest spring break seasons we’ve had in years.

When the economy is strong and people feel confident about the future, they are more likely to travel. There’s already evidence of this: Best Western reports that its advance bookings for March and April at its 2,200 hotels in the U.S. and Canada are up 6 percent compared to this time last year. Plus, people are spending more and staying longer—the number of room nights booked is up 11.2 percent in the same period. Resort area bookings are up 17.5 percent, which means more travelers are focused on leisure trips this spring.

Airlines expect to handle 2.4 million passengers per day this March and April, up 4 percent compared to last year according to the airline trade group Airlines for America. Airlines are adding 110,000 more seats per day to handle the loads. That’s good news for airlines, but travelers should brace for busier airports and unexpectedly long lines at airport security as a result.

Gasoline prices lowest in Southeastern US, where most spring break driving occurs- cheapest is green, most expensive is red (Image: GasBuddy)

2. Gasoline prices are higher. The average price per gallon is up about 50 cents compared to this time last year according to GasBuddy.com. This means budget-focused travelers may have to trim back spring break spending to pay for gas, but I don’t think it will keep people at home. While 50 cents more per gallon is a lot, gasoline prices were at near historical lows last year (around $1.70 on average) and are still inexpensive by most measures. Also, most Spring Break driving trips take place in or via the southeastern US where gasoline prices are cheapest.

Easter is relatively late this year, which is good news for travelers (Image: Pixabay)

3. Easter is late. This year Easter is on Sunday, April 16—relatively late compared to last year when it was on March 25. (The date for Easter is determined by the phase of the moon and can fall between March 22 and April 25.) What this means for the spring break season is that it is nice and spread out—there is not a single week or two with a significant concentration of travel demand. Generally, collegiate spring break takes place during the month of March. Family spring break takes place during the week of Easter. This year, you’ll find the best deals in early April (once the collegiate spring breakers are back in school), and then again in late April after Easter.

United Economy B777-300ER

Fares are cheaper, but there are tradeoffs: 10-abreast in economy class on United’s new B777-300ER (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

4. Shoulder season deals plentiful- After Easter, we enter the shoulder season of light demand, fewer crowds and lower prices that will last until early June when peak season kicks in. If you have flexibility to travel then and are looking for great last minute deals, this is the time to check around. Aggressive discounting on the part of low-fare carriers is keeping fares low—but be aware of new restrictions for these new “basic economy” fares. Set up fare alerts with airfare search engines and check the Twitter feeds of travel brands to snag last minute deals. Travelers are definitely responding to this new round of low fares. For example, LEVEL Airlines, which launched with $300 transatlantic roundtrips last week says that it sold 52,000 tickets in a single day!

Best Western’s spring promo- $10 gift card after each stay!

While hotel rates can be less expensive during shoulder season, keep an eye out for promotions, too, like Best Western’s spring deal: Register now and get a $10 Best Western Gift Card with every stay through April 30, 2017. Spring promotions like this can help shave costs on summer vacations or business trips!

After mid-June, peak summer pricing kicks in as demand soars—and looking at the stock market as Kong advises, we could have one of the busiest summer seasons ever. That means that if you have your heart set on specific dates and locations for summer vacation, now is the time to make those reservations.

Barcelona El Prat’s big bright and gorgeous international terminal is going to be busy this year (Chris McGinnis)

5. International travel is up. While spring break is mostly a domestic affair, there’s increasing interest in travel to other countries these days as the U.S. dollar continues to strengthen. Right now, the euro is running at about $1.07 and approaching parity. The British pound is at about $1.22 compared to this time last year when it was about $1.45. Low fare carriers such as Norwegian Air and Wow Air are forcing all airlines to lower transatlantic fares to unprecedented levels (as low as $400 round trip), making the idea of spring break in London or Paris or Barcelona not very far fetched at all. The U.S. dollar has also strengthened against the Canadian dollar and Mexican peso making both countries more affordable spring or summer options.

Miami

As always, Florida is one of the most popular spring break destinations this year (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Top spring travel destinations are:

  • Nearly everywhere in Florida, especially Orlando and coastal cities
  • Cities along the U.S. Gulf Coast in states such as Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas
  • Las Vegas
  • California – Sierra and Rocky Mountain ski areas (due to an abundance of snow that could extend the season into May or beyond)
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Low-cost, nearby Caribbean destinations such as Puerto Rico, the Bahamas or the Dominican Republic
  • Mexico, especially coastal resort areas such as Cancun and the “Riviera Maya” along the east coast and Puerto Vallarta, Cabo and Baja on the west

Where are YOU going this spring? Please leave your comments below. 

This item first appeared on Best Western’s YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

 Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically create posts or send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 

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Delta’s new fees for earlier flights

Want to get an earlier flight? It’ll cost more on Delta. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

It just got a little more expensive to get on an earlier Delta flight.

The airline this week boosted its fees from $50 to $75 for same-day confirmed flight changes and for standbys. That brings Delta’s fees into line with United’s and American’s.

The higher fee applies to SkyMiles Silver Medallions as well as non-elites and non-members. The fees continue to be waived for SkyMiles Gold, Platinum and Diamond Medallions. H/T Points Miles & Martinis

The relatively steep fees at the major legacy carriers bring them into sharper contrast with Southwest’s no-fee policy for changes or cancellations. Earlier this month, Southwest also relaxed restrictions on free standby privileges for its A-List and A-List Preferred customers.

(Image: Jim Glab)

Even if you’re not on Southwest, it might be possible to get on an earlier flight without paying a fee, whether or not you’re an elite-level frequent flyer or a full-fare ticket holder. The key is to be able to show the gate agent that it is in the airline’s best interest to accommodate you on an earlier flight.

  • If you get to the airport in time to grab an earlier departure, check the arrival status of the inbound aircraft that will become the outbound flight you’ve booked. (Instead of looking at the airline’s arrivals board, use FlightAware’s mobile app for greater accuracy.) If it’s coming in late, it means your departure will likely be delayed – and you might miss a connection downline. That makes it in the airline’s interest to put you on an earlier departure, especially if your connecting flight is overbooked or the last one of the day.
  • If you’re flying out of a connecting hub and have a chance for an earlier departure than the one you’ve booked, ask the gate agent about the likelihood of “miss-connects” on that earlier flight. These are connecting passengers whose inbound flights are coming in late enough that they might miss the next segment (i.e., the one you want to get on). If the airline will accommodate your request, it will not only make you a happy passenger, but will also open up a seat on the later flight for someone who missed their connection.
  • Remember that your attitude in talking to the gate agent can make all the difference – and gate agents have all the power in these situations, especially when it comes to waiving fees. These employees are busy and frequently abused by irate travelers – so taking a high-handed approach won’t get you anywhere. Don’t be overbearing, but don’t be obsequious either. Just be pleasant and seem like you’re trying to be helpful rather than demanding or annoying.
  • If you have a good reason for wanting to get home earlier, it might be worth mentioning – especially if it involves your family. Would an earlier flight get you back in time to attend your kid’s Little League game or recital? Gate agents have families, too, and it could make them a little more sympathetic to your request.

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5 key reasons to try new Lyft Premier

Lyft

A new upscale option from Lyft (Photo: Lyft)

In less than a decade, the introduction of ride-sharing services has changed the way we travel for business more than just about anything else. Starting this week those rides get more luxurious as Lyft’s new Premier option expands. 

Gone are the days of tense calls with terse dispatchers and uncertain waits for taxis to take us to the airport or to our meetings. Also gone: Overpriced limo rides to or from the airport.

Now we just push a button on our smartphones and watch our ride come to us on a map. We know how much the ride will cost before we even get in the car. When the ride is over, we thank the driver and step out of the car instead of waiting around for a receipt or worrying about leaving the right tip. While the wow factor of that has worn off on many frequent travelers, it still feels like magic to me!

To grab more of the lucrative corporate travel market, Lyft is now bringing even more magic to our airport or cross-town rides with the introduction of Lyft Premier – a new luxury ride service that will pick you up in high-end sedan or SUV like a BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Lexus LS, or Cadillac Escalade in minutes.

Lyft app

You’ll now see the new Premier option pop up on the Lyft app in 19 cities (Image: Lyft)

Last year Lyft introduced the new Premier option in a handful of major cities, and has been steadily expanding it across the US. Just this week it introduced Premier in eight more cities for a total of 19.

Ready for a little luxury in your next ride? Here are five key reasons to give Lyft Premier a try:

1> New cities: This week, Premier arrives in Baltimore, Boston, Denver, New Jersey, Orange County, Philadelphia, San Diego, and Seattle. It’s also available in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Phoenix, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C.

2> Tipping: As always (and thankfully!) you can tip your driver via the Lyft app. Once your ride is over, you’ll get a prompt on your phone to rate the driver and leave a tip if you’d like. No awkward moments when you don’t have cash, or the driver does not have change. For this reason alone, many frequent travelers use Lyft as their primary ride-share service. What about you?

Don’t miss: Should I tip my driver? Poll shows that 35 percent of TravelSkills readers do!

Lyft

Lyft Premier will pick you up in a BMW, Audi, Lexus, or Cadillac in minutes. (Image: Lyft)

3> Prices: Back in the day, I would pay about $50 or $60 for an uncomfortable taxicab ride between my house in San Francisco and SFO Airport. When I was lucky enough to have a client willing to pay for a cushy car service, that fare would rise to around $100. These days I pay about $30 for a regular Lyft ride to the airport– and when I want a little luxury, I’ll ping a Lyft Premier for about $60. Generally, Premier fares run about twice as much as regular Lyft fares. In New York, a Premier ride from Manhattan to JFK runs $101-$121, while a regular Lyft costs $52-$65.

4> Nicer cars: Premier offers users style, consistency and comfort, and Premier vehicles likely resemble the luxury car in your garage or driveway. To qualify as a Lyft Premier vehicle, it must be a top-tier luxury make/model and it can’t be older than a 2008 model. It must have leather seats and comfortably accommodate at least three passengers.

5> Higher-rated drivers: Premier drivers maintain stellar ratings. Since Premier rates are higher, drivers make more money on higher fares (plus Lyft reports that Premier rides earn 50% higher tips on average) and are more likely to offer those little extras such as phone chargers, mints and water.

Ride-sharing among frequent travelers has become ubiquitous– as a matter of fact, they are now more frequently expensed than taxis and rental cars combined. 

In addition to Lyft Premier, you’ll find Lyft, Lyft Line (shared rides) and Lyft Plus (6+ passenger vehicles) on the app. Since its founding in June 2012, Lyft has expanded to more than 200 cities in the U.S.

Do you or have you used Lyft? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below. 

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically create posts or send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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“Trump slump” means more great travel deals

Empire State Building New York

Low demand from overseas means more bargains in cities like New York or San Francisco (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Bargain-hunting travelers could see some relief from high hotel rates and airfares as demand slows and travel deals proliferate. 

While the stock market is experiencing a record setting “Trump bump,” the U.S. travel industry is girding for a big slowdown in visitors from other countries resulting in a “Trump slump.”

That is bad news for the travel industry. But it’s good news for bargain hunting travelers faced with sky high rates in recent years, especially for hotels in cities favored by international visitors such as New York, Washington, Miami, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

It’s also good news for frequent flyers and loyalty program members hoping to cash in points and miles on overseas trips as lower demand translates into more availability.

President Trump has cost the US travel industry $185 million in lost revenue, with significant drop in flight searches and bookings from the U.K. according to The Guardian. The British newspaper pointed to data released by Kayak this week showing that searches for flights to Miami, Tampa and Orlando from the U.K. are down almost 60 percent. San Diego searches are down 43 percent. Las Vegas is down 36 percent and Los Angeles is down 32 percent.

New York City tourism officials expect to see 300,000 fewer international visitors this year according to the New York Times- but it expects more domestic visitors.

Washington DC

Rates in cities like Washington DC could decrease due to lack of interest by foreigners (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Kayak says that according to its data, “Brits are falling out of love with the USA in a major way. Searches for flights to key U.S. destinations have fallen off a cliff.”

That lack of interest is already translating into lower rates. Kayak reports that average prices for hotel rooms in Las Vegas are down 39 percent on average, in San Francisco they are down 34 percent and even New York has seen hotel prices fall by 32 percent. (Rates could fall even more in SF according to this recent TravelSkills post)

Anecdotally, I’ve noticed a big drop in hotel rates in New York City, especially in the overcrowded mid-range. Last month I stayed in a New York Hilton Garden Inn for just $149 per night, and I’ve seen similar low rates all winter long, some extending into spring.

In the U.K., Kayak’s Suzanne Perry said, “The story of the summer is the fall of interest in the States. We noted that searches to the USA dropped after the new president came to office – but it seems like this is a longer-term trend. The US has historically been one of the most popular countries for Brits, but searches to popular destinations falling by over half in one year is a massive shift.”

The same thing is going on in the air. Searches for flights to the U.S. from international destinations are down 17% according to data analysts at Hopper.

British Airways added San Jose nonstops using a 787 Dreamliner last year- and the deals are great!. (Image: Mineta San Jose Airport)

To us, that lack of demand from overseas is translating into startlingly low fares between to US and Europe this winter and spring. Ultra-low-cost carriers are leading the way with ultra-low fares (as low as $250 round trip + fees). But it’s not just the low-fare airlines that lowering prices– we’ve seen the major airlines jump into the low-fare fray with round trips from the West Coast to Europe in the $400 range. Advance bookings for peak summer season are still in the $700 roundtrip range, which is a remarkably good deal.

With British Airways adding new nonstops to London from San Jose and Oakland this year, in addition to its two dailies at SFO, there is a LOT of new capacity in this market leading to unprecedented low fares. And if Europeans are not all that interested in coming to the US, I expect we’ll see good fares all year long as demand flattens.

So, bargain hunters rejoice while you can! We’ll see how long this party lasts.

Have you noticed that international travel is getting a lot cheaper? What’s the best deal you’ve seen so far? Please leave your comments below. 

 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Reader Report: Shakedown in Mexico

(Photo: Willem van Bergen / Flickr)

Visitors getting pulled over by police in Mexico is regrettably all too common (Photo: Willem van Bergen / Flickr)

Peak spring break travel season (March-April) approaches. Due to recent currency fluctuations, Mexico is a very good deal for Americans. Many TravelSkills readers (or their family members) may be headed there on vacation, so we offer up this Reader Report as word of caution.

It’s important to note that the TravelSkills reader experiences in Mexico are not isolated– We’ve written about this before, and just last week another incident rolled into our email box:

A Cancun motorcycle cop shook me down for $100 US today. Was merging onto the highway on our way to the airport – at a speed safe to merge with ongoing traffic – and got pulled over. The cop said we could come to the police station and pay $2,500 Mexican pesos or pay him $100 US on the spot. We paid the $100, and he left us alone to make our flight.

Here’s a video of a visitor getting a shakedown:

Has it happened to you, too? Please leave your comments below…

Here’s the original story that we posted last year:

Twice in five days, the Cancun police stopped me and issued me tickets while I was driving a rental car in Mexico,

I want to provide a bit of travel history and driving context to this conversation.  This is my 22nd visit to Mexico since 1998, and the fourth time I have rented a car in this country in four years.  I have been to Cancun four times.  Outside of this week’s getting stopped, I haven’t had a speeding ticket in nine years.  And I have had no tickets or hassles driving in Mexico.

Until now.

My encounters with the Cancun police were notably similar, with small and interesting variations.   In both instances,  the police car pulled me over, the passenger patrolman approached the car, greeted me, shook my hand, took my license, and asked me out of the car–my passenger remained inside.  In both instances, the officer explained the infraction (more on these later), and told me that I could pick up my license at the police station in downtown Cancun the following day once I paid the fine of 2000 pesos (the second officer rounded up to 200 US$).

My first ticket was for going 78 kph in a 70 kph zone (akin to going 48 mph in a 43 mph zone, for the metrically afflicted).  My second was for going through a yellow light, which the patrol car happily facilitated, by driving at 30 kph in front of me, then turning so as to deposit me in the center of the now yellow intersection.   And yes, he was ready, with flashing lights once I made it through.

Rather miraculously,  the first encounter ended with the ticket-writing officer suddenly deciding to let me go–he handed me my license,  and waved me off.  Throughout the exchange,  I was polite, but insistent that I was driving the speed limit.

Photo: Christien Cordova / Flickr

Photo: Christien Cordova / Flickr

In the second case, the patrolman started bargaining with me from the start.  “The ticket is $200US if you pay it at the station tomorrow,  but if you pay it right now, it is only $100.”  I protested that I didn’t have $100, and perhaps a warning made more sense–he then offered $80.  Sensing that we were now bargaining as if negotiating over sunglass prices with a beach vendor, I offered $50, which he rejected–but I handed him 700 pesos (about $35) and he gave me back my license.

Needless to say, once we got back to our hotel, the car stayed garaged for the trip duration.   And the drive from hotel to airport was incredibly mindful of every speed limit,  traffic sign,  and red light.

Throughout all the troubles and travel advisories Mexico has experienced,  I have been an advocate for continued travel here.  Mexico provides color and texture and warmth–both temperature and service–with unrivaled value and noteworthy proximity to the US.  And Cancun–on paper, at least–is a perfect place to rent a car.   The roads are great,  signage clear,  and attractions numerous.  Moreover, renting a car is inexpensive by US standards.

Beaches near Cancun, Mexico (Photo: Maria Michelle / Pixabay)

Beaches near Cancun, Mexico (Photo: Maria Michelle / Pixabay)

But I cannot endorse this destination–Cancun–any longer after this experience; at the least, renting a car here is contraindicated.  While it is clear that citing law-abiding travelers is easier than stopping drug cartels, it is equally clear that Cancun turns a blind eye to the harassment of visitors in this fashion. 

Cancun’s tolerance of such corruption by its police certainly affected my perception of the place, and dampened any enthusiasm for returning that I might have otherwise had.  And next time I hear some Mexican tourism authority official pleading for individual or group business amidst the stigma of ongoing drug violence,  I will ponder this:  You can’t end your petty corruption let alone fight your crime problems.  Throw a tarp over your hotels in Cancun for all I care.

D.D., Denver, Colorado

We found some helpful advice about how to deal with demands for a mordida or bribe in Mexico and other Latin American countries here.

Mordida

Another site recommends having a copy of your drivers license available when driving in Mexico, and only providing the real thing at the police station.

Have you ever been asked for a bribe when driving in Mexico another country? Share your experience below.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Protecting travelers is big business

Cuba welcome

Low-fare flights, cruises and less concern about Zika pushing up demand for Cuban & Caribbean trips (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Travel insurance is big business. As a matter of fact travelers will spend a whopping $2.2 billion on insurance this year– an increase of 5% over last year.

Part of the reason for that increase is worry about trips thwarted by terrorism, illness, weird weather and the Zika virus. But another big reason travel insurance sales are strong is that the travel industry itself is very strong, and getting stronger. Americans are traveling more, spending more, sponsored-sliderand hoping to protect those trips by buying insurance. With positive trends like that, it’s no surprise that the wise Warren Buffett has made a big investment in travel insurance with Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP).

Over the last two years, BHTP has produced “The State of Travel Insurance” report that tracks and monitors travel trends– and how those trends could impact insurance sales. As part of a recent project TravelSkills has with BHTP, I took a read through the exhaustive report, and found the following trends worth noting:

View from a room at the new Shangri-La Paris. Who can't love Paris? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Despite some fears, European travel is up. View from a room at the new Shangri-La Paris. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Overseas travel is up. Way up. A lot more people are planning international trips in 2017– this is due to the strong economy, the strength of the U.S. dollar and the steady stream of transoceanic airfare deals. At TravelSkills, we’ve reported on many of these transatlantic and transpacific deals which have dropped to unprecedented lows in recent months (around $400-$500 roundtrip from east and west coast). Right now, it appears that good deals should keep coming due to increasing competition and low fuel prices. In addition to cheap flights, Americans are jumping on board European river cruises in record numbers. All this is good news for BHTP because international trips are much more likely to be insured than domestic ones.

Prices up slightly. Travel prices should increase an average of about 4% this year. Nobody likes higher prices, but a 4% increase is not enough to keep Americans from venturing forth. Again, this is good news for travel insurers because higher trip costs = higher travel insurance premiums. Speaking of prices, the BHTP report shows more consumers shopping for insurance using helpful aggregators such as InsureMyTrip.com or Squaremouth.com.

Is it time for the government to regulate airlines' rising passenger fees and cramped seating? (Image: Jim Glab)

BHTP AirCare will pay you for sitting on the tarmac for more than 2 hours (Image: Jim Glab)

Airline reliability issues. Increased attention to airline issues such as flight cancellations, delays and lost luggage are leading more fliers to buy travel insurance to protect them. Recently BHTP devised a unique way to protect passengers from airline operational issues by offering them direct cash payments. For example, a traveler with BHTP’s AirCare protection would get $1,000 deposited directly into his or her bank account during a tarmac delay of two or more hours. Flight canceled? BHTP pays $150 on the spot. Missed connection? You get $100 plus assistance getting on the next flight. Delayed or lost luggage pays $500. Coverage starts at $34 per flight. More details here.

Travel agents, who seemed to be going the way of the dodo bird in recent years, are making a comeback. Why? Due to the mind-boggling amount of travel information now found online, travelers are simply overwhelmed. Frequent travelers don’t have time to sort through all the options. Infrequent travelers don’t know where to start, or whom to trust. That’s where a good, experienced and knowledgeable travel agent comes in handy– he or she can cut through the clutter and find just what you need. This trend is also positive for travel insurance because agents usually suggest travel insurance as part of any big purchase. Looking for a great travel agent? Then check out my colleague Wendy Perrin’s WOW list— a group of experienced travel agents that she personally vets and categorizes based on their destination knowledge.

Chris McGinnis

Bucket list travel determines more trips- I need more of Africa! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Bucket lists! I’m not sure if this trend popped up because of The Bucket List movie (2007) or not, but travelers are planning more adventure trips this year. Why? Well, for the adventure of course, but BHTP says that they are also doing it to “cross something off their bucket lists.” I have to admit I frequently gaze at the map covered with dots on my office wall and dream about where I want to go next (see above). Destinations on the top of my list include: Vietnam, Machu Picchu, Arkansas (my only missing state), the high deserts of Bolivia, nearly all of Africa, and (most embarrassingly for this world traveler) Venice, Italy! Bucket list travel is also good for BHTP because those trips tend to be more expensive and riskier that others, so are more likely to be insured.


The Caribbean and Central America are hot, and it’s not just because of all the photos and videos of our ex-president taking a well-deserved vacation in the Virgin Islands. One key reason for the uptick in interest in the region is because the World Health Organization has declared that the Zika virus is no longer a global health emergency. In addition, there’s pent up demand and an abundance of cheap new flights from the US to Cuba, and plenty of new low-fare flights and cruises to other islands. BHTP research shows a 12% increase in propensity for Caribbean travel in 2017.

Want more? BHTP’s 2017 State of Travel Insurance Report is available for download at http://go.bhtp.com/SOTI2017

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically create posts or send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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Uber, Lyft crushing taxis, rental cars for business travel

Uber Newark

Taking Uber from Manhattan to Newark Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A new report on business travel expenses says Uber rides now account for more than half of all ground transportation spending, citing this as an example of a “transformational change” taking place among road warriors.

Certify, a leading provider of travel and entertainment expense management and reporting, has issued its annual report for business travel spending trends in 2016, and it found that a new company has vaulted into the top spot as the “most expensed vendor”—not an airline or a hotel chain, but ride-sharing giant Uber.

The company said the “exploding popularity” of Uber among business travelers enabled the ride-sharing network to capture 6 percent of all receipts and expenses tracked by Certify last year.

According to Certify, the Uber juggernaut among business travelers was “the biggest story of 2016.” It said that among various ground transportation alternatives – taxis, rental cars, Uber and Lyft – Uber accounted for 52 percent of all expensed spending in the fourth quarter of last year, while Lyft grabbed 4 percent.

Image: Certify

Image: Certify

Comparing the fourth quarter of 2016 with the same period a year earlier, Certify said Uber’s share of the ground transportation segment jumped from 40 percent to 52 percent and Lyft’s from 2 percent to 4 percent, while the share for taxis plunged from 20 percent to 11 percent, and the share for rental cars dropped from 38 percent to 33 percent.

Looking to the lodging segment, Certify saw a similar but smaller trend for Airbnb, which it describes as an “alternative hotelier.” While Airbnb hasn’t yet broken into the top 15 most-expensed lodging brands, it is moving up fast, doubling its share of business traveler transactions each year since 2014.

“Assuming a similar or slightly improved growth rate, Certify expects Airbnb could approach the top 15 most expensed hotels sometime late next year,” the company said. “Looking at average room nights, business travelers also stayed longer with Airbnb compared to traditional hotels; 4.51 to 2.58 nights, respectively.”

Image: Certify

Image: Certify

Certify CEO Robert Neveu said business travelers’ increasing preference for “sharing economy” providers like Uber and Airbnb “underscores the trend toward consumerization of traditional corporate travel. Advances in personal technologies and travel-based smartphone apps have made it easier for business travelers to choose the experiences and vendors they prefer. And the companies they work for are following suit with expanded travel policy guidelines to accommodate new services and payment methods. More than a footnote in history, it’s the kind of transformational change that will continue to shape the industry for years to come.”

Chart: Certify

Chart: Certify

The company’s analysis of spending covers more than 10 million receipts and expenses logged per quarter by travelers at Certify’s client companies, including business meals, air fare, hotels, gas, ground transportation and several other categories.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Is now the time to go to Cuba?

Viva Cuba

The outlook for travel to Cuba is still complicated (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The first nonstop flight from the U.S. West Coast to Cuba took off from Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 6 last week and TravelSkills was onboard.

We were part of a delegation of about 50 business, government and civic leaders from the West Coast invited by Alaska Airlines for a two-day relationship-building and fact-finding mission to Havana.

While it was a very quick trip, I picked up tons of interesting insight and info about the current situation and outlook for American travelers in Cuba. And since I’m a newbie to regular flying on Alaska Airlines, I learned a lot about it, too.

Alaska Airlines Havana

Alaska Airlines nonstop from LAX to Havana arrives at about 5 pm- just in time for a lovely tropical sunset (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

So let’s dive in.

In this post I’ll take a look at what’s happening in Cuba— we’ll follow up with a post on flying Alaska Airlines to get there.

My primary take-away: Whether or not you’ll like Cuba now depends on the type of traveler you are. It’s a great place for the adventurous or curious traveler with an open mind, lots of patience and ability to deal with the heat, humidity and grit of a poor, developing country. Right now, it’s not a place for a traveler who expects world-class creature comforts, high quality food and drink, relaxation and leisure. Interested? Then see: How much does it cost to fly to Havana? Not much! More advice: If you can afford to hire a guide, hire one. Or go as part of a group. Cuba’s a tough place to see on your own for the first time. (The company Alaska Air engaged to guide our group was Distant Horizons.)

Iberostar Havana Hotel

My $500 per night hotel room in Havana (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Politics: On our first morning in Havana, we attended a lecture by University of Havana Professor Jorge Mario Sanchez. He’s is a professor of Economics and International Relations and oversees the University’s student exchange program with Harvard University. President-elect Trump’s views on Cuba and what he may or may not do is clearly the top concern on the island these days. Why? Because the recent warming of relations between the U.S and Cuba, and the relaxation of rules for travelers are not at all permanent. The increased engagement we’ve experienced lately is the result of an executive order by President Obama, which could easily be reversed with the stroke of a pen by the incoming president.

Sanchez emphasized that with the trade embargo still in place, the U.S. and Cuba are still considered enemies under the current legal framework. The only way our relationship with Cuba can be truly normalized is to rescind trade embargo (The “Cuban Assets Control Regulations” set in 1963)– something only Congress can do. Cubans hoping for sustained change were dealt a blow recently when Trump appointed Mauricio Claver-Carone, a harsh critic of Obama’s efforts to normalize relations, and director of a pro-embargo group, to his transition team.

Could we be living in a rare window of opportunity to visit Cuba before the door is slammed shut again? Maybe! Time will tell…

Cuba Classic Car

Negotiate a deal with the owner of one of Cuba’s numerous classic cars for a tour or a trip across town (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Business: With Marriott, Starwood, Airbnb, Alaska Airlines and nearly every U.S. carrier already operating in Cuba, a blanket reversal is probably unlikely. But it’s still a big unknown. Also, recent changes in property ownership are spawning a new entrepreneurial class in Cuba. For example, Cubans can now own those classic cars, and run them like small businesses. You can negotiate with drivers for a ride across town or a tour (starting at about $25). Our group visited a newly privatized garage where these cars are restored and maintained. Sanchez says that privately owned restaurants are all the rage now, with over 500 new ones opening in the last year! Whatever happens with Trump, Sanchez says that Cubans will “improvise, adapt and survive”– something they’ve been doing for over 50 years.

Kempinski Hotel Havana

A new Kempinski Hotel will soon open on Havana’s Parque Central (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Hotels: Alaska Air put up our group at the Iberostar Parque Central hotel. It’s considered a 5-star hotel in Cuba, but that’s by Cuban standards. Most folks in our group were shocked to learn that the daily rate at this hotel ran about $550. While the staff could not have been nicer and the facilities any cleaner, the hard product was not up to world-class, 5-star standards– beds were low and lumpy, furniture dated and nicked, wi-fi was slow and spotty, elevators overtaxed (hotel was full or Americans and Europeans).  How can they get away with a rate like that? Well, it’s supply and demand. There are a LOT of people who want to travel to Cuba right now and most want the security and familiarity of a big hotel (vs an Airbnb or casa particular) for their first visit, and are willing to pay for it. When demand outstrips supply, you get inflation. Good old capitalism at work, right?

Cuba Capitol Capitolio Havana

Like nearly everything else in Havana, the Capitol is undergoing extensive renovation (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Construction: As you may recall, I was on the first cruise ship allowed to sail from the US to Cuba last May. In the short period of time since then, I noticed that there is a LOT more construction and rehabilitation of Havana’s crumbling, yet still beautiful, architecture. There’s a big scaffolding on the Capitol building, which is undergoing a complete renovation by a German firm. Next door is the recently redone, now glittering and well-lit baroque National Opera. Next to that is the soon-to-be-Starwood-managed Inglaterra hotel- a grand dame in need of an update (according to guests I spoke with), but with a lively scene nightly on its roof bar. Across the street from the Iberostar, a striking, sugar-white new Kempinski Havana hotel (housed in the elegant Manzana de Gomez building) is in the final stages of a major redo, and should open this year. A brand-new-from-the-ground-up 10-story glass and steel hotel is rising across the street for the Havana’s famous water-front malecon. A new Marriott hotel will soon be built inside the gorgeous facade of a grand old building in Old Havana.

Oil and Gas: Something I did not know is that Cuba has vast and mostly unexplored oil and gas fields along its Gulf of Mexico coastline and could eventually be one of Latin America’s top exporters of fossil fuels in coming years. Havana will even host an Oil & Gas Summit next month. While that could do great things for the Cuban economy, Sanchez said that there is worry about the environmental impact of off-shore drilling not just on Cuba, but on the entire Atlantic ocean since the Gulf Stream flows through the area and into the North Atlantic. With an oil and gas executive poised to be at the helm of the U.S. State Department, who knows what could happen in U.S.-Cuba relations.

Havana Cuba malecon

Not a boat in site along Havana’s famous malecon (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Fishing: In a seaside city like Havana, you’d expect to see a big fishing fleet and lots of seafood on the menu. You’d also expect to see a big trade in charter fishing boats for visitors. But when you peer north out at the dark blue waters off Havana’s malecon, that’s all you see… water. No boats. Why? Well, as our guide said, “We don’t have many fishermen in Cuba because they fish too far” referring to the steady stream of Cubans escaping to the U.S. by boat or raft. But now that President Obama has ended the controversial “wet foot, dry foot” policy that allows Cubans (only) arriving on U.S. shores automatic permanent residency status (versus arrest and deportation), there is less incentive for Cubans to run away. Maybe fishing could once again become a viable occupation in Cuba.

So there you have it! Next up will by my trip report on the Alaska Airlines flight between Los Angeles and Havana, including a look at the LAX gate side festivities (including Cuban pastries and strong coffee), the fiesta atmosphere onboard the plane, our reception in the business class lounge (Salon V.I.P) at Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport and more!

–Chris McGinnis

Fantastic, ubiquitous street music in Havana #cuba #travel #music

A video posted by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on

Disclosure: Alaska Airlines covered the cost of Chris’s trip to Havana

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Chris answers 6 holiday travel FAQs

Chris McGinnis CNN

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis doling out the travel tips at SFO for CNN (Image: CNN)

During the holidays, I’m frequently on TV and radio doling out travel advice as the holiday hordes anticipate their trips. Here are my answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:

Q: When’s the best time to buy airline tickets for Christmas? Due to high demand, there simply are not any real airfare “deals” on the peak days around Christmas and New Year’s this year. Travelers who want the most convenient flights on their preferred airlines should book as soon as possible to get seats on those flights – otherwise they will likely be stuck paying the same high price for less desirable flights that depart super early or late, they’ll have to sit in those dreaded middle seats, or make several stops en route to their destinations. Best way to monitor air fares: Google Flights

Q: Should I drive or fly this year? I always stick to the five hour rule: If you can drive to your destination in five hours or less, it’s likely smarter to hit the road instead of the skies during the holidays. This is especially true for families traveling together. If you haven’t done so yet, download the Waze app, a GPS-based mapping tool that uses information provided by other drivers to help you avoid traffic, road hazards – and speed traps! Find least expensive gasoline using GasBuddy. 

Q: What’s a good way to avoid holiday travel stress? Always try to book nonstop flights, because you double your chances of a delay or cancellation with a one-stop flight, even though you might save a few bucks. Another stress-busting move: Consider staying over in a hotel when visiting families during the holidays. Rates at mid-range hotels in or near airports or suburban office parks hit annual lows during holidays (due to the lack of business travelers), and facilities are usually new and nice. For example, the popular Best Western Plus Grosvenor hotel has rates as low as $80 per night over Christmas weekend- they are normally around $150. Having your own space at a hotel is a big relief for both the traveler and the host during the stressful holidays.

Christmas weekend rates at this Best Western Plus near SFO tumble to just $80 per night on Dec 23-25- rates are normally closer to $150 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Christmas weekend rates at this Best Western Plus near SFO tumble to just $80 per night on Dec 23-25- rates are normally closer to $150 (Photo: Best Western)

Q: Are there any alternatives or hidden secrets to getting good deals this year? If you have the flexibility to travel during the slowest times of year, the so-called “dead weeks” of early December and early January, you can save 50-70 percent on airfare or hotels. Some ski resorts will discount lift tickets during dead weeks. It’s also a good idea to check out airline or hotel social media streams on sites like Twitter or Facebook to look for short term, last minute sales. For example, JetBlue has an extraordinary “12 Days of Christmas” sale this month with some great bargains for those who are ready to drop everything and go. (Note: The JetBlue sale has been so popular that it’s frequently overloaded the site this week, so keep trying.)

Q: Is now a good time to redeem points or miles for trips? It’s nearly impossible to use airline frequent flyer awards during the blacked out, heavily restricted peak holiday season. On the other hand, demand for hotels declines during holidays, which means that it’s a lot easier to redeem those hard-earned loyalty points—or find good last minute deals. This is also a good time of year to consider using your credit card points to pay for pricey airfare and hotels. Why is now great time to consider a new credit card? See this. 

Q: What about airline baggage fees? If possible, avoid checking bags during the holidays; the risk of your bag getting lost and ruining your trip is just too high. Try to learn to live out of a carry-on. If you have too much for a carry on, ship your bags ahead of time, but do so at the “ground” rate at UPS, FedEx or the Postal Service. Shipping a 25 lb. bag via next-day or two-day express is just too expensive. How expensive? See this.

Chris’s holiday travel advice first appeared on Best Western’s YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

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How holiday travel will be different this year

Listen to TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis discuss the outlook for holiday travel on KCBS Radio.

Gas map

Gas prices in the US in November 2016 (Source: Gas Buddy)

The holiday travel season can be the best of times or the worst of time for frequent travelers. Best because it’s a time for us to kick back, relax and enjoy some time off work with our loved ones. Worst because of all the hassles and high prices involved in getting there.

A word of warning: Holiday travel could be crazier this year than in previous years. Why? High demand and the calendar. And weather is always the wild card (for example, there’s snow in Denver and 2.5-hour rain delays at SFO as we write this).

Demand is up

Advance bookings at Best Western’s 2,000+ hotels in the US from November 15-January 15 are up 6.1% compared to this time last year.sponsored-slider The number of nights booked is up 10.5%, which means those who are traveling are planning to stay longer. In Canada, advance bookings and the number of nights booked are both up 13%. AAA expects 48.7 million Americans will travel over Thanksgiving- that’s a million more travelers than last year, and the busiest Thanksgiving since the great recession of 2007. The trade group Airlines for America expects Thanksgiving air travel to be up 2.5% over last year, which means 55,000 more travelers on planes and atairports every day across the country.

Calendar is the problem

The outlook for Christmas is going to be dicey. That’s because we are faced with Christmas and New Year’s Day both falling on Sundays this year. This means that the holiday season will be more densely packed with travelers on or around both of those weekends. (When Christmas and New Year’s fall mid-week, the season is more spread out.)

Busiest days at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving will be the pretty standard this year, with busiest days on the Wednesday before the feast and the Sunday and Monday after. But you should also be aware of big crowds and delays on the Friday and Saturday before Thanksgiving, too. That’s because more people are taking the whole week off. My advice: Make your trip short and sweet: Depart early Thanksgiving morning (the slowest day) and get home in time for the feast. Then fly or drive back on Friday or Saturday before the Sunday rush.

Craziest days at Christmas/New Year’s

For Christmas and New Year’s, expect the busiest days at airports and freeways to be the Thursday and Friday (Dec 22-23) before Christmas. Since New Year’s Day is on Sunday, you’ll see heavy traffic that afternoon as well as on the Monday and Tuesday after New Year’s (Jan 2-3).

Winter road

Most holiday travelers will see this instead of a view out a plane window! (Image: Pixabay)

Driving

While most major media focus on air travel during the holidays, the reality is that nearly 90% of holiday travel is by car. And since most of Best Western guests arrive by car that 6.1% increase in demand is a good indicator of how busy roads will be this year. In addition, record low gas prices and fear of airline hassles will be pushing a lot more Americans into their cars for holiday trips.

Fuel prices

One key reason for high demand for travel during in the months ahead is the declining price of gasoline. Currently, the average price per gallon nationally is about $2.15—down from a high of about $2.35 in June. Those driving in the Midwest will find the least expensive gas this year ($1.70/gal)- those driving in the West will pay the most (>$2.50/gal). Airlines are enjoying the dip in fuel prices, too, which means that holiday airfares, while always high, will not increase much this year compared to last year. Some fares might even decline slightly.

Europe

Would you consider spending the holidays in Europe? If you’ve been waiting around for a deal, this might be the year to go. Transatlantic airfares are at new lows due to increased competition and low fuel prices. Plus, major currencies have tumbled in relation to the dollar. As I write this, 1 euro is worth about US$1.07 and is approaching parity. The British pound is at about $1.24.

Holiday Travel Q&A

Chris doling out the tips on a "radio media tour"

Chris doling out the travel tips on a “radio media tour”

During the holidays, I’m frequently on TV and radio doling out travel advice. Here are my answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:

When’s the best time to buy airline tickets for Christmas? Due to high demand, there simply are not any real airfare “deals” on the peak days around Christmas and New Year’s this year. Travelers who want the most convenient flights on their preferred airlines should book as soon as possible to get seats on those flights – otherwise they will likely be stuck paying the same high price for less desirable flights that depart super early or late, they’ll have to sit in those dreaded middle seats, or make several stops en route to their destinations.

Should I drive or fly this year? I always stick to the five hour rule: If you can drive to your destination in five hours or less, it’s likely smarter to hit the road instead of the skies during the holidays. This is especially true for families traveling together. If you haven’t done so yet, download the Waze app, a GPS-based mapping tool that uses information provided by other drivers to help you avoid traffic, road hazards – and speed traps!

What’s a good way to avoid holiday travel stress? Always try to book nonstop flights, because you double your chances of a delay or cancellation with a one-stop flight, even though you might save a few bucks. Another stress-busting move: Consider staying over in a hotel when visiting families during the holidays. Rates at new hotels like a locally owned Best Western in or near suburban office parks hit annual lows during holidays (due to the lack of business travelers), and facilities are usually new and nice. Having your own space at a hotel is a big relief for both the traveler and the host during the stressful holidays.

Boeing's iconic 747 is gradually flying off into the sunset. (Image: Jim Glab)

Take a nonstop flight if you can! (Image: Jim Glab)

Are there any alternatives or hidden secrets to getting good deals this year? If you have the flexibility to travel during the slowest times of year, the so-called “dead weeks” of early December and early January, you can save 50-70 percent on airfare or hotels. Some ski resorts will discount lift tickets during dead weeks. It’s also a good idea to check out airline or hotel social media streams on sites like Twitter or Facebook to look for short term, last minute sales.

Is now a good time to redeem points or miles for trips? It’s nearly impossible to use airline frequent flyer awards during the blacked out, heavily restricted peak holiday season. On the other hand, demand for hotels declines during holidays, which means that it’s a lot easier to redeem those hard-earned loyalty points—or find good last minute deals.

What about airline baggage fees? If possible, avoid checking bags during the holidays; the risk of your bag getting lost and ruining your trip is just too high. Try to learn to live out of a carry-on. If you have too much for a carry on, ship your bags ahead of time, but do so at the “ground” rate at UPS, FedEx or the Postal Service. Shipping a 25 lb. bag via next-day or two-day express is just too expensive.

Listen to TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis discuss the outlook for holiday travel on KCBS Radio.

 

This post is sponsored by Best Western and originally appeared on its YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

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Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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What in the world does “business casual” really mean?

Some advice on braving the treacherous waters of "business casual" attire (Photo: Pixabay)

Some advice on braving the treacherous waters of “business casual” attire (Photo: Pixabay)

“Two of my least favorite words in the English language are ‘business casual’ as it means different things to different people,” says Joyce Newman, president of the Newman Group, which offers high-level speaker, media and image consulting to global executives. “The definition varies widely between cities, countries, cultures – even industries – and it’s a real dilemma for travelers because you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.”

First, business casual dress varies between men and women. While men are often safe wearing khakis and a button down shirt, the permutations for women are endless. “Business casual for women can best be categorized by what it’s not than by what it is. For example: no jeans, no shorts, no low necklines, no miniskirts, no stiletto heels,” says globetrotting Claudia Kozma-Kaplan, a TravelSkills reader who straddles the U.S. and Europe in her fashion industry marketing job.

In some regions, the term business casual simply does not translate. Frankfurt-based financial industry executive Johannes Jacobi tells us, “Most Germans feel more comfortable in the familiar suit and tie – invitations to business casual events in the US or elsewhere are usually met with angst and a lot of questions.”

Kurta

In India, both men and women where similar versions of the kurta (Photo: Pixabay)

Also, appropriate business casual attire in one country or region is not always acceptable elsewhere. An Indian executive might feel comfortable wearing a traditional kurta (a loose fitting shirt worn by men and women that extends to just above the knees; worn with pants) to an event in Hyderabad, but would probably feel awkward wearing one in New York. Similarly, a Puerto Rican executive who might wear a guayabera shirt to a business casual event in San Juan should probably leave it at home when traveling on business to London.

On the other hand, should a visitor wear a kurta or guayabera when visiting India or San Juan? Bermuda shorts in Bermuda? Maybe… or maybe not. According to Newman, calling ahead for advice is the best way to avoid the potential embarrassment of over- or under-dressing at an unfamiliar business casual function.

“Ask someone who has been to a similar event in that country before,” counsels Newman. “Use your travel agent, your friends or social media networks for advice about what to wear. Eventually, with ‘six degrees of separation’, you will find someone in-the-know.”

This cool seersucker shirt worked well for me as business casual when I was working in steamy Thailand (Chris McGinnis)

This cool seersucker shirt from Brooks Brothers worked well for me as business casual when I was at meetings in steamy Thailand (Chris McGinnis)

Beyond the safe global standard of jackets or blazers, khaki or gray slacks, and leather shoes, below is a primer to how business casual varies around the world.

Europe
Europeans use business casual as an opportunity to show off their character and fashion sense. “Europeans know how to express themselves and be comfortable at the same time, while most Americans tend to think it’s mostly about just being comfortable,” says Patrick T Cooper, a US-based fashion consultant. Cooper spoke with TravelSkills about an extended trip to London where he was impressed by men “in two-button, peaked lapel, ticket pocket, double-breasted blazers with British spread collar shirts (no tie) and light wool slacks — all tailored, of course, to fit perfectly.” He says that women may have a tougher time with the business casual look in Europe, and thus may want to stick to their regular business attire, even when attending business casual events. “There’s no real letting your hair down when it comes to business attire for women. For women who normally wear suits at work, I would take it down just one notch for business casual, to a tailored pants suit or a poplin top and a pencil skirt. And never any flashy or dangly jewelry,” he advises.

Australia
“Business casual is essentially the same for both men and women in Australia,” advises Sydney-based management consultant Peter Braithwaite. “If it’s an event, men should wear a collared shirt, pants and jacket, with leather shoes. You may find jeans, but that is pushing it a bit. For women, a skirt, dress or pants are okay. Heels aren’t necessary, but never sandals — for men or women.”

For travel blogger Natalie DiScala, business-casual tends to mean heavy on the ‘business’ and light on the ‘casual’. Of course, it all depends on where you’re going but she says she’d rather be overdressed than underdressed.

For travel blogger Natalie DiScala, business-casual tends to mean heavy on the ‘business’ and light on the ‘casual’. Of course, it all depends on where you’re going but she says she’d rather be overdressed than underdressed (Photo: Flytographer)

Caribbean
In Latin-influenced islands such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, local men frequently wear informal-looking guayaberas to business casual or formal events —even weddings. On the other hand, women tend to “dress up” in cities such as San Juan where “casual Fridays” usually mean high heels, flashy jewellery and bright colours. But proper attire could differ on the next island over. “When I first went to the Caribbean, I was expecting business casual to be the norm, but was surprised at how formally locals dressed in places like Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica and Haiti due to the European influence on their cultures,” says international development consultant Linda Carlson.

India
“In India, business casual means jacket, trousers, collared shirt, no tie and oxford shoes for gentlemen. For ladies, it is jacket, trousers, inner t-shirt and low-heeled pumps,” recommends Ashrafi Matcheswala, who moved from India to the US where she is the general manager at the Taj Campton Place Hotel in San Francisco.

Carlson, who spent three years in India, adds, “The many Indians who have spent time working in technology jobs in California returned focusing on the more casual side of business casual, but they’ve ‘Indianized’ it by incorporating the local kurta into the look.”

The traditional "Japanese businessman" in a black suit is less prevalent. (Image: Pixabay)

The traditional “Japanese businessman” in a black suit is less prevalent. (Image: Pixabay)

Japan
“Japanese business attire has definitely become more casual over the last decade,” says Jun Mizutani, a marketing executive in the financial industry in Tokyo. However, casual varies slightly from industry to industry. For example, many executives have shed the traditional suit, or coat and tie during the summer, except for those in the financial or securities industries which remain mostly formal.

The Japanese government actually encourages office workers to shed their formal work clothing and adopt business casual outfits to endure the summer heat, which lead to a greater acceptance of casual styles at work or at off-site events. In the winter encourages office workers to consider adding more knits and layers as thermostats are turned down to use less heat for winter.

United States

This is my definition of business casual- while speaking to a group of financial execs in Silicon Valley last year. Coat: Orvis. Shirt: Charles Tyrwhitt, Pants: Hugo Boss (Photo: Kim Grimes)

This is my definition of business casual- while speaking to a group of financial execs in Silicon Valley last year. Coat: Orvis. Shirt: Charles Tyrwhitt, Pants: Hugo Boss (Photo: Kim Grimes)

The definition of business casual varies from coast to coast in the US, the country that likely coined the term. Along the more formal East Coast, business casual typically infers a “preppy” look: a dark blazer, jacket or sweater for men and women, a collared shirt (tie optional), a skirt (for women) or pressed slacks (no jeans) and leather shoes.

The look gets more casual the farther you travel west. For example, in Denver or Seattle, business casual takes on a more “outdoorsy” look and includes jeans, boots, vests and jackets that might look familiar on a hiking trail than in a business meeting. When you finally reach California, business casual can include just about anything, and varies a lot by industry. For example, a business casual event in the banking or finance industries would likely lean toward the more conservative East Coast version. But in high tech or entertainment, business casual could include jeans and a black t-shirt (think Steve Jobs) or even floral Hawaiian shirts. All the more reason to heed Newman’s advice to call ahead and determine precisely what you should pack before you leave home.

How you YOU define business casual? What’s your “go-to” business casual outfit? Ever been embarrassed in a business casual situation? Please leave your comments below. 

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis wrote this post which originally appeared on BBC.com

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Another airline adds “kid-free” seating

Parents who don't control unruly kids are high on the list of bad behaviors (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Parents who don’t control unruly kids are high on the list of bad behaviors (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Passenger surveys usually find that screaming, kicking, out-of-control kids – a.k.a. adorable children – are one of the biggest annoyances for air travelers. But what if you could book a seat that guaranteed you wouldn’t have any of them around you?

Indian budget airline Indigo is the latest carrier to introduce what it calls “Quiet Zones” – seating areas where it does not allow any children under age 12 (rows 1-4 and 11-14, including the exit rows).

A similar concept was introduced a couple of years ago by a few other Asian airlines, including Thai, Malaysian, Air Asia, Malaysian and Scoot.

Also, most big airport lounges now have separate, usually glassed in, romper rooms for the kiddie-boos to keep the noise at bay.

Thoughtful kiddie playroom inside SAS business class lounge (Chris McGinnis)

Thoughtful kiddie playroom inside SAS business class lounge at CPH (Chris McGinnis)

While the idea may seem like a terrific one for many business travelers, especially those on long-haul flights, some people might take offense at what could be considered a discriminatory policy – like the parents of those kids, who are increasingly having trouble on some airlines just getting a guaranteed seat next to their offspring. Opponents of the concept might reasonably ask what other kinds of passengers might be targeted by such a policy in the future.

The no-kids seating area can also cause enforcement problems for the airline when it has to rebook passengers onto almost-full flights, for instance.

Still, a survey of 1,100 U.K. travelers a couple of years ago found that 70 percent said they’d like to see kid-free zones—and more than one-third said they would pay extra to fly on a flight with no kids at all.

OK, readers, what’s your take on this controversial topic? Would you pay extra to be guaranteed a seat away from kids? What should the age limit be for kid-free seating zones?

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts:

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Earn airline points for Airbnb stays

Qantas 747's like this one return to SFO in December (Image: QANTAS)

Qantas has a new way for loyalty program members to earn points. (Image: QANTAS)

Partnerships with hotel chains have been a mainstay of airline loyalty programs for decades. And now a “sharing economy” enterprise that some see as a threat to the hotel business is slowly wading into the same pool.

That enterprise is Airbnb, which has been making a concerted effort in recent months to court business travelers with things like automatic links to corporate expense reporting systems and up-front information about the business traveler-friendliness of its member properties. And it has seen business traveler bookings surge as a result. The obvious next step was airline loyalty programs.

Qantas just announced a new tie-in with Airbnb that will let its customers earn points in its frequent flyer program when they book through the Qantas website (www.qantas.com). Participants can earn one Qantas point for every dollar they spend on Airbnb accommodations worldwide, if they book through the Qantas site.

“We know many of our customers are just as likely to arrange an Airbnb as they are to book a hotel, and we wanted to recognize and reward them for that,” said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.

This modern two BR Victorian in San Francisco's Noe Valley is $300/nt (Image: Airbnb)

This modern two BR Victorian in San Francisco’s Noe Valley is $300/night (Image: Airbnb)

Qantas isn’t the first airline to do this. About a year ago, Virgin America entered into a similar partnership with Airbnb for bookings made via a link at the Virgin website. Members of Virgin’s Elevate program earn one point per dollar spent on Airbnb. Members who have never used Airbnb before and create an account get a one-time bonus of 1,500 Elevate points and a $20 Airbnb credit. Virgin’s tie-in with Airbnb is currently effective through October 2017.

Meanwhile, United just added Airbnb to the vendors listed on its MileagePlus X smartphone app. The new partnership allows users to rack up three MileagePlus miles per dollar spent at Airbnb. If you aren’t using MileagePlus X yet, here’s a link to get started.

And American Express has a tie-in with Airbnb that lets its Membership Rewards participants pay with program points for Airbnb bookings. Members must create an Airbnb profile with their American Express login.

 Readers: Would you be more likely to book Airbnb if it was affiliated with your primary airline?  Post comments below.

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts:

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Fall travel season outlook & advice

Fall autumn leaves New York

New York’s Central Park puts on a spectacular show in the fall (Chris McGinnis)

Fall is my favorite time of year to travel. Why? Because it’s typically less crowded, prices come down from steep summer peaks, and the weather is fine just about everywhere. Business travelers always breathe a sigh of relief reclaiming their territory at airport security lines and hotel breakfast bars as hordes of family vacationers have gone home.

Fall is the perfect season for finding last-minute travel deals due to the seasonal dip in demand. But as this past summer came to a close, I began to think that autumn months would see an even deeper dip in demand due to all the angst and uncertainty over the election, Brexit, Zika and terrorism.

But it appears that travelers in the U.S. are as resilient as ever, and this fall remains busy (or busier) than last year. For example, with over 2,000 hotels in the U.S., Best Western Hotels & Resorts is expecting a robust fall travel season with advance bookings for September and October up 6.7 percent in the U.S. compared to this time last year. In Canada, advance bookings for autumn are up a strong 19 percent over this time last year, mostly due to increased interest by Americans attracted by the strength of the U.S. dollar there.

National Gas Price Heat Map (Source: GasBuddy.com)

National Gas Price Heat Map- red is highest, green is lowest. CLICK for more details (Source: GasBuddy.com)

Gasoline prices: One key reason for continuing interest in travel during in the months ahead is the declining price of gasoline. Currently, the average price per gallon nationally is about $2.20—down from a high of about $2.35 in June. Gas remains least expensive in the Midwest and Gulf Coast states (less than $2 per gallon in some areas), but recently edged up in the southeast due to a major pipeline break which caused supply problems. As usual, prices along the West Coast are highest, where $3 per gallon is the norm. (See map above where green show least expensive and red is most expensive.)

sponsored-sliderAirfare: Increased competition and growth by ultra low-cost airlines such as Frontier, Spirit and Allegiant combined with lower fuel costs is keeping airfares in check. Fall is a great season for finding last-minute airfare deals as airlines are much more likely to offer unsold inventory at deep discounts during the fall. If you have the flexibility to fly at this time of year (meaning you don’t have kids in school) you’ll find plenty of good deals—some so good that they might tempt you to leave the car at home and take to the skies. The best way to find these deals is to follow airlines’ social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook or Snapchat—that’s because by the time the deals hit major media outlets, they’ve disappeared. If you like to fly in business class, now’s the time to start poking around for discounts that usually pop up for flights in late December– last year, we saw fares drop as low as $1,800 round trip!

Hotels: Due to strong demand, hotel prices should remain about the same or increase slightly this fall compared to the same time last year. Due to the seasonal dip in demand, leisure travelers will find some very good deals at this time of year compared to pricey summer months. Fall is also the peak of the convention season, which means that rates at big city center hotels (especially large coast cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, New York and Washington DC) tend to spike during the week when attendees are in town, but decline on weekends when hotels are relatively empty. Tip: During fall months, travel suppliers reach out to business travelers with special deals and incentives tied to their loyalty programs. For example, now through November 20, Best Western is offering a discount of up to 15% and 1,000 Bonus Rewards Points to those booking on bestwestern.com.

Best Western

View from my room at the newish Best Western Herald Square in NYC (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TIPS:

Conventions: Since fall is peak convention season, demand (and therefore prices) for hotels can vary dramatically from one week to the next. That’s because one week, there might be a huge citywide convention in town and the next, nothing. A good example of this is when we see the huge Oracle OpenWorld (Sept 18-21) or Dreamforce (Oct 4-7) conventions come to town- hotel rates soar, Uber/Lyft impose surge pricing, and it’s impossible to find restaurant reservations. Same thing happens in New York City for Fashion Week or the UN General Assembly. If you have the ability to postpone trips during peak weeks, you’ll save your money and your sanity.

London: Now would be a very good time to go. The weather has not turned cold and damp yet. Airfares have come down from summer peaks. A wobbly economy and recent devaluation of the British pound means that London (and the U.K. in general) is a relative bargain these days, especially for dollar-wielding Americans. (The dollar/pound exchange rate is hovering at around $1.30, down from around $1.60 last year.) Just remember to call this season autumn when you are there… not fall.

Sweet potato casserole

Mom’s famous sweet potato casserole a welcome sight after a long Thanksgiving flight! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cheapest Weeks: Bargain hunters will find the best fall travel deals during the first two weeks of November and December. If possible, schedule trips to coincide with these dips in demand. (The primary exception to this would be New York City, which is flooded with business travelers and holiday shoppers during the first two weeks of December.)

Thanksgiving- Thursday Nov. 24: As always, traveling around Thanksgiving can get crazy. But in recent years, airlines and travelers have pretty much learned the drill, and the only time we see major problems is when bad weather intervenes. As always, the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday and Monday after are most crowded. But recently airlines have found the Friday before Thanksgiving is now one of the busiest days, too. Plan accordingly.

Holiday bookings deadlines: My rule of thumb for making holiday bookings: If you have a very strict holiday schedule, you should have already made your Thanksgiving and Christmas travel reservations. If you have some wiggle room and want to shop around, Thanksgiving trips should be booked no later than the first week of October. Christmas/New Years trips can wait until about Halloween.

This post is sponsored by Best Western and originally appeared on its YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

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Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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Kicking “support animals” off the plane

service dog, plane

A great dane “service dog” riding in first class on the Delta California shuttle between SFO & LAX (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Frequent travelers have no doubt seen some strange things in passenger cabins, including a surprising variety of so-called “emotional support animals” (ESAs) – critters that are allowed to fly with human companions who say they just can’t travel without their furry friends close at hand. But now some airlines want to kick the menagerie off the plane.

According to Aviation Daily, carriers including United, JetBlue and Delta are asking the Transportation Department to amend its rules to ban emotional support animals from passenger cabins. 

What kind of animals are we talking about? The most common, of course, are dogs – and there are plenty of stories about passengers falsely claiming their canines are support animals so that they can fly with them in the cabin instead of the cargo hold, or just to gain access to an up-front seat. Or they are simply trying to avoid the additional cost or burden of shipping the animal in the cargo hold?

support dog

Is this cute pup really necessary for emotional support? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Why are they allowed in the first place? Aviation Daily notes that the laws aren’t in sync on the issue – The Americans with Disabilities Act recognizes “service animals” like dogs trained to assist with the blind, but not “emotional support animals (ESAs).” The Air Carrier Access Act, however, does recognize ESAs and thus requires airlines to accommodate them, unless they are creepy things like snakes, rodents and spiders.

Check out United’s rules here, which distinguish between “service” and “support” animals. Service animals are allowed with few questions. However, “support” animals require a form/note from a doctor attesting to the patient’s need to travel with the animal. And an online cottage industry has sprung up to help pet owners do just that. Here’s a video that explains how:

According to pet behaviorist Cesar Millan’s website, Cesar’s Way, “Recently, some people have been abusing the system. They pass their dog off as a service dog even though they don’t have a disability and the dog hasn’t been trained for a specific task. Not only is this wrong and an abuse of the system, but it can also be disruptive and dangerous for legitimate service dogs.Some states are taking fake service dogs so seriously that they’ve enacted laws making it a crime. In California and Florida, it is a misdemeanor to fraudulently misrepresent a service animal. In California, the penalty can include both a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail. Florida’s punishment is a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail plus 30 hours of community service, preferably for an organization serving people with disabilities.”

Nonetheless, there are all kinds of other creatures that are sharing the passenger cabin these days. Travel + Leisure magazine found instances of weird ESAs including turkeys, pigs, tortoises, miniature horses and kangaroos. If you think they’re kidding, just Google the term “service animal on plane” and click on “Images,” and you’ll find photos of these and more.

What do you think, readers? Is the system being abused? Should there be tighter rules around which animals are allowed onboard planes? Please leave your comments below. 

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts! Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water | More Delta SkyMiles for Asian trips | Tips from a Hawaiian Vacation | JetBlue-Delta slugfest means lower fares | Test your planespotting skills! )

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Would you fly a 737 transatlantic for $69?

A Boeing 737 MAX in Norwegian livery. (Image: Boeing)

A Boeing 737 MAX in Norwegian livery. (Image: Boeing)

Odds are you haven’t flown a small single-aisle aircraft like a 737 or an Airbus A320 across the Atlantic. But you could get your chance in the next couple of years – and one airline is promising one-way fares as low as $69 on the new planes.

The few 737s and A320s currently going over the pond either have a sharply reduced number of seats so they can exceed their normal range, or they’re between two points as close as you can get over the Atlantic, like WestJet’s flights between far eastern Canada and Scotland/Ireland. But the new generation of these aircraft will make longer flights possible with a full load.

Boeing’s 737 MAX and Airbus’ A320neo can fly about 500 miles farther than earlier versions, and use 15 percent less fuel. That will permit flights up to 3,000 miles between the eastern U.S. and western Europe. The initial operators of the planes will include Norwegian Air, JetBlue, and TAP of Portugal.

And a Norwegian Air executive this week told Business Insider UK that his airline plans to use the new aircraft to offer $69 transatlantic fares – about half the level of its current lowest fares. Norwegian has ordered 100 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, and it should start to take delivery sometime next year.

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The Airbus A320neo. (Image: Airbus)

The Airbus A320neo. (Image: Airbus)

“I can promise you that you will see trans-Atlantic flights on the 737 MAX next year,” Norwegian’s chief commercial officer Thomas Ramdahl told the publication in an interview, “and that’s when you will see the $69 fares.” The airline has also ordered 30 A320neo LRs for delivery starting in 2018 – a plane with slightly more capacity and longer range than the new 737s. He did not say which routes might offer the super-cheap fares.

Norwegian currently relies on Boeing 787 Dreamliners for its fast-growing transatlantic network, like its recently announced new service to Barcelona from Oakland, Los Angeles, Newark and Ft. Lauderdale.

JetBlue has ordered 30 A321neos, some of them likely to be the long-range version, prompting a lot of speculation about the carrier’s transatlantic intentions, although JetBlue has not said definitively that it will fly to Europe.

How would you feel about flying a 737 across the ocean? Please leave your comments below!

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts! Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water | More Delta SkyMiles for Asian trips | Tips from a Hawaiian Vacation | JetBlue-Delta slugfest means lower fares | Test your planespotting skills! )

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The 100,000 points question

 

Customs and Border Protection's Global Entry kiosks speed up the arrivals process. (Image: CBP)

My new Chase Reserve card will pay for my Global Entry renewal next year. Cha-ching! (Image: CBP)

You’ve been hiding under a rock if you’ve not heard all the hoo-hah about the new Chase Sapphire Reserve card by now. (Or maybe you’ve just taken a sabbatical 😉 ) 

Chase introduced the new card last month and it now appears to be one of the most successful card launches ever. So successful in fact that the bank ran out of the plunky metal cards and is sending temporary plastic ones instead.

I’m not a credit card churner or gamer. When I get one, I typically hold on to it for years because I just don’t have the time to keep up with every new card bell or whistles that comes out. Right now, I have a total of five active credit cards (three in my wallet and two in my desk drawer).

Is it time for me to get another card? Yes. So, soon I will have six cards because I’ve just been approved for the new Chase Sapphire Reserve card. It’s that good.

Why did I get it? Here are five key reasons: 
Lounging around on a Korean Air A380 ICN-ATL (Chris McGinnis)

You can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points to lounge around on a Korean Air A380 (Chris McGinnis)

1> I can’t resist the 100,000 point sign up bonus. And those are 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points…one of the most valuable currencies out there because they can be redeemed or transferred with so many top shelf travel suppliers. (Such as United, Air France/KLM British Airways, Korean Air, Southwest, Hyatt, Intercontinental, and Marriott). With a 50% bonus for booking travel with Chase Ultimate Rewards, that 100,000 points translates into $1,500 in travel. Not bad!

2> Since I put all our household expenses on a single card, I’ll easily be able to reach the $4,000 dollar spend threshold within three months of getting the card– that’s just $1,333 per month.

Earn 3 points per dollar spent in dining out and travel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining out and travel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

3> In our household, we spend a lot of money on travel and dining out— with the Reserve card, you get THREE points per dollar spent on those purchases. That’s significant. One downside is that you earn just one point per dollar spent on everything else.

4> I can afford the $450 annual fee (which is not waived in the first year). Chase makes it easy to swallow this bitter pill with an annual travel credit of $300. That brings the cost down to a still pricey, but easily digestible $150, especially when you consider what I’d pay for this card’s benefits. For example, my Global Entry card expires next year. With the Reserve card, Chase offers a $100 credit toward Global Entry or PreCheck. This card offers primary rental car protection and includes generous trip cancellation, delay and luggage insurance.

Bugles for snacks at the Star Alliance lounge at Barcelona El Prat airport (Chris McGinnis)

My new Reserve card provides access to 600 airport clubs, like the VIP Lounge at Barcelona El Prat Airport- which served bugles on my last visit! (Chris McGinnis)

5> It also provides access to hundreds of airline lounges in the US and abroad, saving me from having to pony up steep per-visit fees when I’m stuck at a faraway airport– and not flying business class.

So I’m convinced that this card works for me. What about you? 

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts! Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water | More Delta SkyMiles for Asian trips | Tips from a Hawaiian Vacation | JetBlue-Delta slugfest means lower fares | Test your planespotting skills! )

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Are double-decker jumbo jets doomed?

An Airbus A380 an an air show with an A350 approaching. (Image: Airbus)

An Airbus A380 an an air show with an A350 approaching. (Image: Airbus)

Effective this month, Boeing has cut back production of its iconic 747 to just six planes a year, as we noted several months ago when we speculated that the big plane might be on its way out of the aviation scene altogether in the months and years ahead. And now there is talk that the 747’s only double-decker rival, the Airbus A380, might be nearing a similar fate.

The latest blow to the A380 came from Singapore Airlines, which has decided not to renew a lease for one of its A380 after it expires about a year from now. The airline operates 19 of the planes.

The Wall Street Journal noted that the rejection of a single leased plane isn’t a huge blow to Airbus, but represents “a symbolic hit” for the A380, for which it said Airbus has been struggling to find customers.

The manufacturer said recently that its A380 production will be reduced from 27 planes a year in 2015 to just 12 a year by 2018. “The backlog of A380s to be delivered has eroded during years of no or few orders,” the Journal noted. It said that Airbus was expected to start losing money on the A380 once again under the lower production rate, and suggested that not even the manufacturer’s existing backlog of scheduled production is completely safe since some airlines are canceling their earlier orders.

Don’t miss: How Emirates glamorously welcomes a new plane (photos)

Emirates' new version of the A380 has 617 seats. (Image: Emirates)

Emirates’ new version of the A380 has 617 seats. (Image: Emirates)

A recent article in TheStreet.com cited one aerospace expert who noted that the international aviation market’s interest has shifted from ultra-large passenger jets like the 747 and A380 to somewhat smaller, newer twin-aisle jets like the 787 and A350 that are more fuel-efficient and can be deployed more profitably on longer non-stop routes. He said the sweet spot now is for planes that carry 300 to 370 passengers.

The Airbus A380s currently in use carry from 400 to 538 passengers in a three-class configuration, although the plane is certified to carry up to 853 in a one-class layout, and Emirates has come out with a 615-passenger version with two classes.

Manufacturers are turning to larger versions of the 787, 777 and A350 for the years ahead, a trend that could siphon even more business away from the double-deckers from airlines that want aircraft with more capacity, the article noted.

Readers: Could you live comfortably in a world without double-decker jumbo jets? What do you think of the A380?

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts! Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water | More Delta SkyMiles for Asian trips | Tips from a Hawaiian Vacation | JetBlue-Delta slugfest means lower fares | Test your planespotting skills! )

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Eye-catching maps explain the state of the world

BofA Map

I’m a sucker for maps. They infatuate me and have for a long time. Just ask my parents. When I was a kid, every time a new map was included in an issue of National Geographic, I tacked it to my bedroom wall. (You can imagine what the walls looked like when I moved out!)

So when Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofAML) produced its new “Transforming World Atlas,” it definitely caught my eye. BofAML creates the atlas to provide investors with a “fresh perspective on the global investment landscape through a new series of maps highlighting themes and trends.”

The online atlas presents a whopping 70 maps that help illuminate the state of the world on a wide spectrum, from basics like population and aging, to fringes such as which countries have the most plastic surgeries per capita.

For travelers, there are maps of how many calories you’ll burn if you walk instead of taking the London Tube. Another overlays the availability of Airbnb rentals with hotels to show just how broadly the service had penetrated the lodging landscape. As a traveler, the map above will help me choose the best ethnic restaurant the next time I’m in an unfamiliar state.

Below are three more maps that I handpicked and present here (with the permission of BofAML). If you are a map freak like me, take a look at the full report here: Transforming World Atlas.

Here’s a map that shows how many calories you’ll burn if walking (vs riding) between London Tube stops:

BofA Maps

Last time I was in Seoul, I was surprised by the hundreds of plastic surgery clinics throughout the city. On my way back to the US, I was invited to see one of the newest of these clinics (actually more like a hospital!) conveniently located adjacent to the airport. Korean Tourism even devotes a page to “In-Transit Medical Tourism” on its website. Apparently, people from throughout Asia fly to Seoul for plastic surgery based on its reputation. Not surprisingly, Koreans themselves are frequently nipped and tucked according to this map: 

BofA maps

The map below is an eye opening for those who feel that the US is the center of the universe. The US as well as the population of the entire western hemisphere is dwarfed when you see a map of the world with nations resized based on population. 

BofA maps

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Surprisingly few Americans use Uber, Lyft

Ride-hailing apps like Lyft are surging in their share of business travel spending. (Image: Lyft)

Ride-hailing apps like Lyft are popular with a surprising small sliver of Americans (Image: Lyft)

As ride-hailing apps continue to grow in importance an option for business travelers, it seems they still have a way to go among the public at large. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that only 15 percent of U.S. adults have ever used a ride-hailing app – and fully one-third of adults have never heard of them! (That’s definitely not the case among TravelSkills readers!)pew

Of those who do use the apps, only 17 percent said they do so daily or weekly, while 26 percent use them at least once a month and 56 percent do so less frequently than that. Why? Pew says “With some exceptions, they are largely only available in and around urban areas.” It notes, not surprisingly, that Uber or Lyft are most popular among young adults, urbanites and college grads. 

Check out the Pew Survey here for some more enlightening numbers about the use of ride hailing services.

In related news this week Uber rolled out a new app for business customers – and it’s not for smartphones. 

Instead, it’s for tablet computers. It’s called UberCENTRAL, and companies can use it to order rides for their customers, clients and guests. The app can handle multiple ride requests simultaneously, and provides for payment by the company and centralized billing and reporting from different locations.

When a company orders a ride for a customer, that person will receive a text message informing them of the trip and driver, along with a link to a live map to facilitate pick-ups.

Uber's new tablet app lets companies order rides for customers. (Image: Uber)

Uber’s new tablet app lets companies order rides for customers. (Image: Uber)

The company said UberCENTRAL works on any tablet and with any browser, and it is now available for use in the U.S. and Canada.

In other ground transportation news, JetBlue said this week that its new Silicon Valley-based venture capital subsidiary, JetBlue Technology Ventures, is putting money into a four-year-old tech star-up called Mozio. JetBlue said the San Francisco-based company’s mission “is to build the ultimate urban mobility app,” one that allows consumers to book shuttles, taxis, limos, express trains, buses and public transit from one interface.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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Travel start-ups: Another one bites the dust

FlightCar is shutting down its 12 airport locations. (Image: FlightCar)

FlightCar is shutting down its 12 airport locations. (Image: FlightCar)

There’s been no shortage of start-up companies in the travel arena in recent years. Some of them have made it big, like Uber and Lyft. But others start out with a lot of flash and promise, and then flare out and disappear.

The latest company to join the latter camp is FlightCar, a San Francisco-based venture founded in 2013. Its business model was pretty simple : When you drive to the airport, drop off your car at a FlightCar lot and you get free parking and a car wash. You also agree to let the company rent out your vehicle to someone else while you’re away. And if they do, they’ll give you a share of the revenue.

Things seemed to be going well for a while, but then business started to falter. Stung by poor reviews about its customer service, FlightCar earlier this year went through a major overhaul, replacing a number of key executives and making other operational reforms.

But that apparently wasn’t enough. The company said in a blog post that over the next couple of weeks, it will be shutting down at all 12 airports where it had been operating. It noted that it has sold its technology platform to Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc. the automaker’s “innovation lab for new mobility services” located in Silicon Valley. 

It’s the second San Francisco-based ride-sharing innovator to close up shop in recent months. Last December, the same thing happened to Sidecar, originator of a ride-sharing app in 2012. Sidecar got into the market ahead of Uber and Lyft, but it never expanded beyond nine U.S. cities, and was soon overwhelmed by its larger and better-financed competitors.

Beacon's all-you-can-fly business model didn't fly in the northeast. (Image: Beacon)

Beacon’s all-you-can-fly business model didn’t fly in the northeast. (Image: Beacon)

And it’s not just ride-sharing companies that can fail. The California-based all-you-can-fly membership airline Surf Air seems to be doing well, but last year three of its four founders moved east and started a company called Beacon, based on the same all-you-can-fly model for trips between Boston Logan and New York’s Westchester County Airport. They did not replicate their west coast success, however; Beacon shut down in April of this year.

Readers: Did you ever use FlightCar? What was your experience like? What’s the next travel startup to bite the dust? 

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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Thought-provoking: Business travel burnout is a thing

Restrictive travel policies can lead to employee burnout. (Image: Jim Glab)

Restrictive travel policies can lead to employee burnout. (Image: Jim Glab)

If you travel on business a lot, you know that the quality of your trips — which airline class you book, what kind of hotels you stay in — can make a big difference in whether you enjoy the experience or not.  And now a new survey of road warriors confirms that too much of the wrong kind of travel can quickly lead to burnout — and a desire to spend less time on the road.

The survey — conducted for American Express Global Business Travel,  Airlines Reporting Corporation and tClara — explored what it calls traveler friction, defined simply as “the wear and tear caused by business travel.” Friction creates heat, and heat creates burnout: The survey found that 15 percent of the 757 business travelers it polled “are nearly burned out on travel.”

“Half want to travel significantly less in two years; two-thirds believe they could find a good job that doesn’t require much travel, and eight in ten are interested in job offers from firms that have very favorable travel policies. Most importantly, eight in ten said that a new firm’s travel policy would be at least as important as the new job’s pay and responsibilities,” the report noted.

Business travel burnout causing flameouts? (Image: Pixabay)

Business travel burnout causing flameouts? (Image: Pixabay)

The key to retaining traveling employees and keeping them on the road, the report said, involves nothing more than some simple adjustments to company travel policies.

The survey presented respondents with a list of 24 possible changes that companies could make in their travel policies, and participants most frequently settled on four of them:

  • The ability to take non-stop flights where available
  • The option to choose more comfortable or convenient hotels
  • The allowance of business-class travel on flights more than six hours
  • Additional paid time off following a long stretch of travel

Two-thirds of the respondents said that if companies adopted their four most preferred policy changes, it would have a significant impact on their desire to stay in their jobs, and they estimated it would increase their productivity by 44 percent.

“This study is significant as it quantifies what for so long we’ve intuitively known: that frequent business travel can also be wearing. But what is most interesting is that it’s not trip frequency that matters, it’s the trip quality,” said  Lauri Reishus, VP and chief operating officer at ARC.

The survey participants all spent at least 35 nights away on business over the previous 12 months, and reported annual incomes exceeding $50,000. You can download the full report here.

Readers: About how many trips to you take per month on average? Does that feel like too much, or just about right? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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Brexit cutbacks hitting Delta, others

Will the U.K.'s Brexit vote discourage U.S.-U.K. air travel? (Image: Jim Glab)

Will the U.K.’s Brexit vote discourage U.S.-U.K. air travel? (Image: Jim Glab)

After voters in the U.K. voted last month to leave the European Union, there was wide speculation that airline travel might be one of the first sectors to suffer from the results of that blockbuster referendum. And now those shock waves are starting to show.

In announcing its quarterly earnings this week, Delta said it has decided to reduce capacity between the U.S. and the U.K. by six percentage points from its previously planned winter schedule. It didn’t specify which routes might take the brunt of the cutbacks or if they will be evenly spread, but it blamed the decision on “the additional foreign currency pressure from the steep drop in the British pound and the economic uncertainty from Brexit.” Meaning: It’s getting a lot more expensive for Brits to visit the U.S. and other countries, and fewer are expected to travel in coming months.

Delta said that will be a major factor in the airline reducing its overall system capacity by one point in the December quarter. There has been no word yet from other airlines in the U.S.-U.K. market about any changes in their schedules, but it is reasonable to expect similar capacity caution from Delta partner Virgin Atlantic, the American-British Airways joint venture, and United.

London's prestigious Savoy Hotel will become part of AccorHotels. (Image: The Savoy)

London’s prestigious Savoy Hotel a much better deal for Americans these days (Image: The Savoy)

The U.K. newspaper The Independent said the plunge in the value of the pound relative to the dollar is discouraging U.K. travel to North America, and lingering fears among U.S. citizens of terrorist attacks are having a dampening effect on demand for eastbound travel, in spite of the greater buying power of the dollar in Britain.

In any case, those factors could already be contributing to lower fares for business travelers. A check on Google Flights this week found August fares that are about half off of “normal” – i.e., nonstop business class to London is going for as low as $3,500 roundtrip from the west coast and just $2,600 from New York.

In its own analysis of the Brexit impact, the International Air Travel Association predicted that the U.K. air passenger market is likely to be 3 to 5 percent lower by 2020 than it would have been if the vote had gone the other way.

How has Brexit affected your travel plans? Or has it affected them at all yet? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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News briefs: New Avis app, PreCheck sign-ups, biz travel spend

Avis Now users can change car assignments based on real time availability. (Image: Avis)

Avis Now users can change car assignments based on real time availability. (Image: Avis)

Business travel news this week includes an announcement from Avis about some customer-friendly enhancements to its mobile app; a summer expansion of enrollment centers for TSA PreCheck membership; and the outlook for business travel volume this year and next – and who has overtaken the U.S. as the busiest business travel market.

Members of the Avis Preferred loyalty program (which is free to join) can now take advantage of new customer features on the company’s mobile app, which is available to them for iOS and Android devices. The bundle of new features, called Avis Now, includes the ability to review and change the user’s assigned vehicle at any time, based on real-time car availability; extend, cancel or confirm a reservation; flash the assigned car’s headlights to help find it on the lot, and lock or unlock its doors from the app; and return the vehicle without help from an agent. Users can also see their rental agreement, confirm fuel or mileage and get assistance on demand. The app is currently available for use at more than 50 U.S. locations, and will be expanded to some international markets in the months ahead, Avis said. (See video here)

TSA is adding some temporary PreCheck enrollment centers this summer. (Image: TSA)

TSA is adding some temporary PreCheck enrollment centers this summer. (Image: TSA)

Faced with a growing backlog of applications for its PreCheck trusted traveler program, the Transportation Security Administration and the outside vendor that operates PreCheck enrollment centers are opening up a number of new, temporary opportunities for applicants this summer, from now through late August. The temporary enrollment centers will be at 14 locations in 13 major markets, and will mostly be open for only a few days at each one. You can see the full schedule of locations and dates here, along with a link to a site for applying online and getting an appointment for a personal visit.

Spending by U.S. business travelers is expected to grow significantly next year. (Image: Jim Glab)

Spending by U.S. business travelers is expected to grow significantly next year. (Image: Jim Glab)

Is business travel in a slump? The Global Business Travel Association says it expects U.S. business travel spending to increase by a mere 0.9 percent this year, to $292.5 billion – but it foresees a big rebound in 2017, with a spending increase of 4.2 percent, to $304.9 billion. “When growth does re-accelerate, companies must be ready with the newest technologies, the most productive workforce and the critical customer relationships necessary to take full advantage,” said GBTA Executive Director Michael McCormick. The U.S. has been lagging behind worldwide growth levels, which posted a 5 percent spending gain in 2015, GBTA said; worldwide, global business travel spending is expected to increase by 5.8 percent annually for the next five years, to a total of $1.6 trillion in 2020. Last year, GBTA said, China surpassed the U.S. in the rankings, with business travel spending of $291.2 billion vs. $289.8 billion for the U.S.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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Buying vs. hoping for upgrades

Delta says it is selling more first class seats these days. (Image: Delta)

Delta says it is selling more first class seats these days. (Image: Delta)

For decades, elite-level business travelers came to expect free upgrades to first or business class as part of their birthright. But in today’s changing environment, they often have to decide in advance whether they want to spend some money to guarantee a seat in a front cabin, or take their chances on getting a space available upgrade.

The New York Times took a look at the changing upgrade scene, and concluded that “the perks of being a frequent flyer are not as valuable as they once were.”

The report noted that airlines are finding new ways to gain some revenue from unsold front-cabin seats instead of just giving them away. Increasingly common tactics include pre-departure offers of low-priced upgrades; taking bids for unsold premium seats; and cutting fares for front-cabin seats in order to boost sales.

JetBlue's Mint class meals are excellent (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

JetBlue’s Mint class meals are excellent (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The newspaper interviewed a number of frequent travelers who bemoaned the changes and the new pre-departure calculations they must make in order to achieve the comfort level they want.

For example, should you just go ahead and buy that JetBlue Mint seat between California and NYC for $699, or pay United or Delta or American $499 for an economy seat and hope for the best? (Or pay just $399 each way for Mint seats on JetBlue’s new LAX-Ft Lauderdale flights!)

The NYT article also said that the airlines’ new strategies seem to be working, citing Delta’s prediction earlier this year that the percentage of paying passengers in its first class seats will increase from a little more than 50 percent in 2015 to 70 percent by 2018.

What about you, readers? What’s the best deal you’ve taken for an upgrade recently? What’s the most you’d pay for a transcon upgrade? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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Do airlines discriminate against tall travelers?

Take pity on the tall traveler who is faced with this in economy class (Image: Eric Schmidt)

Take pity on the tall traveler who is frequently faced with this in economy class (Image: Eric Schmidt)

Oversized travelers frequently make the news, but the over-wide folks seem to get all the attention. Well, what about over- tall travelers? 

Anyone over six feet tall can probably relate to the plight of Eric Schmidt, a frequent traveler who at six feet, six inches tall, is frequently scrunched into submission on long flights. He thinks airlines should offer unsold exit row seats to tall travelers, and not charge them  a fee for the upgrade.

Schmidt is so fed up with bruised knees that he’s started a campaign to convince airlines to give special dispensation to tall travelers. His first move was to create a twitter account designed to attract other tall travelers, and hound airlines into action. He believes that when exit row seats are available, tall travelers should be able to sit in them without a charge. He thinks fees for exit row or bulkhead seats are a “tall tax.”

We asked Schmidt to state his case for TravelSkills and we’d love to hear your opinions.

Sit in a chair facing the wall. Position the chair so your knees are touching the wall, no matter your posture. Now, sit there for two and a half hours. This is what it’s like for anyone over six feet tall in a regular coach seat. 

In the good old days, tall folks like me could just mosey up to a gate agent before a flight, explain our predicament and the agent would kindly offer us an exit row seat– the golden ticket for the height-disadvantaged. We would accept the responsibilities of helping in the case of an emergency in exchange for some precious extra space for our long legs.
 
Then a terrible thing happened.
 
Airlines realized they could charge for “upgrades” to exit rows and suddenly there was competition for those seats. Common sense went out the door and, too often, people who aren’t even tall or fit enough to lift their luggage into the overhead compartment get to sit in those seats.
Tall travelers
Even worse, when these seats go un-purchased, flight attendants refuse to allow tall passengers, bruised knees and all, to move to those empty seats mid-flight unless they pay the fee. It feels like the airlines are taxing us for being tall. It’s completely unethical and illogical. In an emergency, wouldn’t you want the most able bodied people on the flight there to help?
 
A few years ago, I reached the zenith of my anger, so I did something about it.
 
A Delta gate agent refused to give me an exit row seat, despite all of them being available, unless I paid an extra $65. I refused out of principle. So, I sat there at the gate and created my most valuable tool– a twitter account called @ExitRow4TheTall.
 
Through Twitter, I am able to connect with like-minded people and, most importantly, annoy the airlines. There are 25-50 complaint tweets per day by a diverse group of tall passengers that contain the words “exit row.” The airline that most frequently gets complaints from tall people is United Airlines (whose CEO, another tall guy, recently resigned amid corruption investigations #HowAppropriate).
 
It’s time for lawmakers to intervene, because this is a clear example of big business picking on the little guy– or the tall one in this case. In the friendly skies, I think there should be a few basic rights for how much space we should have to avoid physical pain.
 
I testified to the Department of Transportation and the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection in Washington D.C. last year but change will come slowly unless we have strength in numbers.
 
If you agree, and have a twitter account, please follow @ExitRow4TheTall and tweet your displeasure, being sure to include airline handles in your tweets. If you’re at the airport or on the plane, let the airline employees know you disagree with their policies of not allowing tall travelers easy access to extra legroom seats. Call your local representatives and tell them your height should never be exploited for profit.
Tall travelers
 This is a “Blast from the Past”: A previously popular post that we’ve updated with new info. Check out the original post and comments here. 
Schmidt says that tall travelers were delivered a blow this year when the U.S. Senate voted down a proposal to regulate airline seat size. 
So what do you think, readers? Should airlines offer special dispensation to tall travelers in the form of free access to unsold exit row seats? Please leave your comments below.

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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Stunning changes at iconic NYC hotel

A Chinese firm that bought the Waldorf-Astoria is reportedly planning to convert much of the hotel to condos. (Image: Waldorf-Astoria)

A Chinese firm that bought the Waldorf-Astoria is reportedly planning to convert much of the hotel to condos. (Image: Waldorf-Astoria)

In 2005, New York’s legendary Plaza Hotel closed down for a three-year renovation that left it with just 130 hotel rooms, and the rest of its space converted into condo hotel units and luxury condo apartments. And now the same thing might be happening to another iconic Manhattan property, the Waldorf-Astoria.

According to the Wall Street Journal (paywall), the new Chinese owner of the once-tony-now-shabby midtown hotel – Anbang Insurance, which lost out to Marriott in an unsuccessful takeover effort for Starwood Hotels – plans to shut the property down next spring and convert most of its space into apartments.

In recent years, the grand dame has fallen from grace with many business travelers– on TripAdvisor it now ranks #281 out of #475 New York City hotels. Nonetheless, a cursory check of rates for summer and fall find it still fetching close to $500 per night. 

Citing “people familiar with the matter,” the newspaper reported that Anbang will repurpose up to 1,100 of the Waldorf’s 1,413 rooms into luxury condominiums to be sold to private owners. That would leave the property with 300 to 500 hotel rooms that would be upgraded to luxury standards. Hilton would continue to manage the hotel portion after the conversion, the article said.

Room decor at the Waldorf is nice, but dated (Photo: Waldorf-Astoria)

Room decor at the Waldorf is nice, but dated (Photo: Waldorf-Astoria)

There was no estimate as to how long the renovation project – expected to cost more than $1 billion — would keep the hotel, which spans a full city block in Manhattan, closed.

The Waldorf had long been used as a New York base for visiting U.S. presidents and for the country’s United Nations delegation, but the U.S. government had problems with continued use of the property after Anbang bought it, citing security concerns.

Have you ever stayed at the Waldorf? For me, the hotel conjures up memories of my very first trip to NYC with my parents at the tender age of 13. Even when I’m not staying there, I still like to duck into its popular, dark and clubby Sir Harry’s lobby bar for a manhattan and nibblies!

What do you think of when you hear about The Waldorf-Astoria? 

–Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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To recline or not to recline…

Turkish Airlines

Squabble over a few angry inches erupts (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

THAT is the question!

Our recent post “Six highly annoying habits of infrequent flyers” drew quite a response from our readers – especially on the question of whether or not a passenger should feel free to recline his or her seat, and if so, under what circumstances.

It’s a question that never goes away – and sometimes comes back strong, like in 2014 when a couple of nasty incidents involving passengers’ use of the Knee Defender resulted in arguments that caused flights to be diverted. (The 12-year-old Knee Defender is a plastic item some travelers buy to install over their tray table arms; it prevents the seat ahead of them from reclining. Fortune magazine even devoted an article to whether or not a traveler might have a right to sue if the Knee Defender was deployed against them.)

Advocates of reclining their seat argue that if they didn’t have a right to recline, the airlines wouldn’t install reclining seats. Opponents suggest that maybe they shouldn’t. (And some low-fare carriers – Allegiant and Spirit – don’t. Here’s a look at how that worked out for them.)

Anyway, following is a summary of reader comments about the pros and cons of seat reclining. What about YOU? Please leave your comments below…

“I never ever recline. I’m 6’3″ and when someone reclines it seriously hurts me. I know that the chairs recline, but they shouldn’t. My knees (except in first class) are already in the back of the seatback in front of me. Which is why I always try to book an aisle so that I can at least extend one leg. I’m fine when people in first class recline as it usually doesn’t cause me any issues, but unless you’re riding in first class PLEASE I’m begging you for the sake of all of us that are tall (or perhaps just have long legs), don’t recline! We can’t do anything about our height.” – Joshua Titus

“I have a bad lower back, and airline seats seem designed to put the most stress on it–so yes, I still recline (and still need ibuprofen). However, I go back slowly and gently, since I know someone is back there. Most irritating to me are those folks who use something to block the recline function.” – Kevin Ford

“I still recline. If we weren’t supposed to recline, the seats wouldn’t have the ability to do so.” — SkippingDog

“Each to their own (feel the ‘zen’), but isn’t this like lighting up onboard an older aircraft because there are still ash trays in the arms?” — Howard

“Not at all, since the law and the rules are that nobody smokes on airplanes anymore. When there’s a law or a rule that prohibits reclining my seat, I’ll certainly comply with it.” – SkippingDog

“I recline but I go back very slowly.” – Jeff

“If the seat has recline, then I’m going to recline. If you don’t like it, pay for business class. – Anthony Wong

“On some aircraft, the seat has an ash tray too! This is not about what’s possible or legal, it’s about what’s polite and protocol.  PS — I do recline too, but only on flights where one might reasonably expect most people to be sleeping/resting.” – Howard

Thinner "slimline" all the rage among airlines these days (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Some airlines don’t offer reclining seats at all- like these on Hawaiian’s 717’s used for short inter island flights (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

“Reclining makes it really challenging for the person behind you to work, eat, and be comfortable. It’s an antiquated concept on modern jets (at least in coach).” – David Mandelbaum

“Under two hours, rarely recline. Longer than that, I recline on take-off when I know the tray tables are up.” – RD

“The fact that planes are too full is a problem for the airline, but doesn’t change the fact that the seats are made to recline. Unless I’m flying for work, I usually fly first class these days, and I recline there too.” – SkippingDog

“I don’t recline, even in first class. You are cutting into the space of the person behind you. I am always furious when the person in front of me reclines.” — Hokey

Why don’t you chime in with your two cents on this contentious issue? Fire away in the comments below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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7 reasons to take the train instead of the plane

Travelers to France can hop a high-speed TGV train right at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. (Image: Rail Europe)

Travelers to France can hop a high-speed TGV train right at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. (Image: Rail Europe)

U.S. business travelers sometime develop the mindset that flying is the only way to go – probably because in the U.S., rail travel just isn’t very practical from a time standpoint except maybe in the Northeast Corridor. But if a trip to Europe is in your plans this summer, you might want to consider the advantages of a rail system that is not only much faster and more widespread than in the U.S., but can offer intermodal links with air travel as well.

So here are seven reasons why you might want to take trains to get around Europe.

1> They’re fast. If you think France’s TGV trains and the London-Paris Eurostar are the only high speed rail routes in Europe, you are way behind the times. Europeans have been developing high-speed routes all over the continent for the past few decades. Spain alone has four domestic high-speed rail networks, plus a fifth that links it to France. Depending on the route, high-speed trains in Europe travel 125 to 200 mph. Here’s a list of the major high-speed networks in Europe.

High-speed train travel times in Europe. (Image: Eurail)

Train travel times in Europe are getting shorter thanks to high-speed lines. (Image: Eurail)

2> They can even be faster than flying. While jets are still a lot faster than trains, and thus more time-efficient for longer trips, there are many city-pairs where it’s actually faster to take the train when you consider total travel time – i.e., getting to the airport early for heightened security checks; travel time to and from the airport instead of a city center train station, etc. GoEuro (www.goeuro.com), a search engine that compares air and rail travel times, put together a list of 10 key routes in Europe where travelers can save one to four hours if they go by rail instead of flying.

3> Intermodal connections can be very efficient. Some key gateway airports have built-in rail stations right next to or underneath the terminals where travelers can easily transition from air to train travel. At Frankfurt International Airport, for instance, travelers can connect to trains going all over Germany and beyond, including the nation’s high-speed ICE network. And French National Railroads has a TGV station at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Lufthansa and Air France even sell air and connecting rail trips combined in a single ticket – Lufthansa’s Rail&Fly program and Air France’s Air&Rail.

4> They’re comfortable. Seats are generally bigger than airline seats, with plenty of legroom – especially in first class. Many trains have bar/buffet cars; for first class travelers, meals and drinks are included in the ticket price, and may be served at your seat or in the bar/buffet car. Increasingly, European trains have on-board Wi-Fi. And you can sleep on some trains: For longer rail journeys, some routes operate overnight with trains that offer private sleeping cabins. Here’s a list of Europe’s night trains.

Spain's Renfe AVE high speed train preparing to depart Madrid Atocha (Chris McGinnis)

Spain’s Renfe AVE high speed train preparing to depart Madrid Atocha for 2.5 hour trip to Barcelona (Chris McGinnis)

5> They take you to the heart of town. Airport stations aside, European rail terminals are generally in the center of cities, so you can easily get to or from your hotel with a short cab ride. In fact, there are usually some hotels within walking distance.

6> Forget about delays. While a big storm can play havoc with airline schedules, trains keep operating through all kinds of weather. And they’re not subject to the kinds of air traffic control congestion that can disrupt on-time flight operations. In terms of operational efficiency, about the only thing that can (and sometimes does) disrupt train travel in Europe is a labor strike.

7> They can be quite scenic. You won’t see much of Europe from the air, but trains bring you up close to alpine vistas, dramatic forests, majestic rivers and other things to see through those big windows from the comfort of your seat. Here’s a list from Eurail of some of Europe’s most scenic train routes.

Here’s a list of the 10 most popular high-speed rail routes in Europe:

Source: Eurail

Source: Eurail

Readers: Have you traveled around Europe by train? How was your experience?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Long TSA lines might keep many travelers from flying

Will heavy media coverage of long lines keep travelers at home this summer? (Image: Jim Glab)

Will heavy media coverage of long lines keep travelers at home this summer? (Image: Jim Glab)

Maybe those long lines at the Transportation Security Administration’s airport checkpoints won’t be so bad this summer after all – not because TSA will process them much faster, but because many travelers might decide to avoid the airport altogether rather than face an extra-long wait for screening.

That’s the ominous conclusion of a new consumer survey conducted by the U.S. Travel Association (USTA), which found that almost 22 percent of Americans planning a summer plane trip “will either travel by other means or delay or cancel their trips because of saturation coverage of hours-long waits at airport security checkpoints.”

Saturation coverage is no exaggeration: Major media outlets have been serving up daily stories on the miseries of security line waiting times; Congress has been holding well-publicized hearings on the issue this week; and social media have been clogged with consumer posts and tweets of long TSA lines, inspired by the @HatetheWait campaign started by Airlines for America (A4A), the airline industry’s main lobbying group.

“We’re looking at convincing data that says hundreds of thousands of people are potentially reconsidering whether to get on an airplane every single day. Given the importance of travel to both our economy and our way of life, it is not an overstatement to call that a national crisis in need of a national solution,” said USTA CEO Roger Dow.

No doubt consumers are especially dubious about air travel when they hear statistics like those presented to a congressional committee this week by a senior American Airlines executive, who estimated that so far this year, some 70,000 passengers and 40,000 checked bags missed their flights due to TSA screening delays – and that was just on American.

More PreCheck enrollments could help alleviate long lines. (Image: TSA)

More PreCheck enrollments could help alleviate long lines. (Image: TSA)

Some help is on the way. Congress recently approved plans for TSA to reshuffle its budget so it has more money to spend on staff overtime and on hiring additional screeners. The private sector is also getting involved: Delta, American and United Airlines have each said they expect to spend up to $4 million or more this summer in assigning their own employees to help out the TSA with non-screening duties at security checkpoints, like managing lines and moving plastic bins from one end of the checkpoint to the other; some airports are also hiring private contractors to handle the same kinds of tasks.

Still, that may all amount to applying Band-aids to a gaping wound. Everyone seems to agree that the real problem nationwide is in the raw numbers: TSA estimates it will need to screen 740 million travelers this year, a 15 percent increase over 2013, even though its staff of inspectors has been reduced by 12 percent during that time due to budget cuts.

There is some evidence that throwing resources at the problem can help. At Chicago O’Hare, where passengers were facing line times of two hours or more a few weeks ago, the wait dropped to just 15 minutes this week after TSA added more inspectors, extra canine units and a new management team, according to the Chicago Tribune. But it’s unlikely that the agency could do the same at a large number of airports in the immediate future.

It’s ironic that Congress is so outraged by TSA’s shortcomings in passenger screenings, according to A4A, which charged this week that Congress largely created the problem by short-changing the agency’s budget. The government collects a security fee from every passenger to pay for airport screenings, but A4A alleged that under terms of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, Congress directed that billions of dollars from those collections be diverted away from TSA’s budget to pay for deficit reduction instead.

All parties seem to agree that one of the best solutions would be a surge in enrollments for TSA’s PreCheck program, which gives travelers access to expedited screening procedures with shorter lines. But that’s all they agree on. Some airline executives have suggested that TSA should revert back to earlier procedures that allowed its inspectors to direct non-suspicious travelers into the PreCheck lanes just to even out the screening workload. But some members of Congress, TSA executives and newspaper editorialists have called for airlines to eliminate checked baggage fees at least for the summer so that fewer passenger would be dragging overstuffed carry-ons through the security lines.

 Readers: You probably belong to TSA PreCheck so you’re not that concerned, but what would you suggest as the best way for government and/or the private sector to address this “national crisis”?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Summer travel season outlook & advice

Yosemite

A busy summer ahead, especially at National Parks like Yosemite (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

This time last year, I was predicting that we’d see one of the busiest summer travel seasons…ever. And that pretty much came true. Last summer was a blockbuster.

This year, I’m back with a similar prediction of a super busy summer ahead, but with a few wrinkles you should know about.

First off, let’s take a look at demand. According to Best Western, advance bookings for peak summer season at its 2,000+ hotels in the U.S. are up 7 percent compared to this time last year, and up 15 percent compared to 2014. In Canada, advance bookings for peak summer season are up an astonishing 24 percent, mostly due to increased interest by Americans drawn by the strength of the U.S. dollar there.

Airlines in the U.S. are expecting a banner season, too, with 4 percent more passengers than last summer according Airlines for America, the industry trade group. It also says that the nation’s airports will accommodate 95,000 more passengers per day than last summer. More competition and lower fuel costs are resulting in airfares that are flat to down slightly compared to last summer.sponsored-slider

Peak season hotel bookings in the U.S. are up due to a more inward focus on the part of American travelers resulting from fears of terrorism and the spread of the Zika virus. In addition, low gasoline prices combined with intense media attention around airport security lines are making road trips an even more attractive option.

TIPS

GO MIDWEEK: Fridays and Sundays in July and August now outrank Thanksgiving as the busiest air travel days of the year. If possible, try to fly on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday to avoid those lengthy lines at airport security checkpoints. Bonus: Fares for midweek trips are usually slightly less than those on more popular weekends.

AVOID THE PEAK: If you are traveling between June 20 and August 20, prepare for sticker shock. During the peak-of- the-peak summer season, so-called “great travel deals” simply do not exist. If you have the flexibility to travel in early June or late August or September, you’ll pay far less. If you must travel during the peak-of-the- peak season, make reservations now if you have not done so already—that way you’ll get the most convenient flights, best hotel rooms and rental cars you want, and won’t be stuck with what’s left over.

Summer travel will be hectic, but we'll all find time to chill, right? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Summer travel will be hectic, but we’ll all find time to chill, right? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

GET REWARDED: In addition to the warm fuzzies from spending time with friends and family on vacation this year, it’s always nice to earn something more. For example, stay two separate times at any Best Western between May 23 and August 28, and you’ll earn a $50 Best Western gift card. Plus, Best Western Rewards members save 10 percent when booking direct on bestwestern.com and earn 1,000 rewards points for stays completed during the promotion period.

GO LAST MINUTE: Due to decreasing demand for transatlantic travel from the other side of the pond, I predict that we will see a lot of “last minute” airfare sales during summer months as airlines try to dump excess inventory. If you have the stomach to wait until the last minute and “let the deal determine the destination” you might save a lot of money this year. This applies when paying cash for airline tickets, as well as redeeming points or miles for trips.

HIT THE ROAD: Low gasoline prices mean we’ll take significantly more road trips this year. Which of course means more traffic. If you are headed to popular beaches, national parks or other popular recreational destinations, get an early start to avoid back ups. Consider using apps like Waze or Google Maps to avoid traffic (and speed traps). Road trippers might also consider driving during the cooler, less crowded nighttime hours.

Orlando's new Club at MCO is open to all n a day pass basis. (Image: Airport Lounge Development)

Orlando’s new Club at Orlando MCO is open to all for $35 per day (Image: Airport Lounge Development)

BUSINESS TRAVEL: If you are headed to work when everyone else is headed on vacation, treat yourself to an upgrade this summer. You can avoid the flip-flop and beach ball crowd by paying a fee (around $50) for a one-time pass to an airport club, or slightly higher rate for a hotel on a quieter concierge floor. Also, airlines frequently discount first and business class seats during summer months, so they end up not much more expensive than inflated economy class tickets—so don’t forget to compare when searching fares.

MAKE RESERVATIONS: U.S. National Parks celebrate 100 years this summer, and the added publicity around the celebration is expected to have parks, and the areas surrounding them, bulging at the seams. This means that visitors need to make hotel or campsite reservations now, or risk being left out in the cold. If you find national parks too crowded or too expensive, consider the large number of relatively unknown state parks. (For example, Google “Texas -or wherever- State Parks”) Or consider summer trips to ski resorts in the mountains where there is plenty of excess hotel and condo inventory, and plenty to do.

This post originally appeared on Best Western’s YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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The 747 Project

Part of a 747 organizers hope to transport to the Nevada desert (Photo: Big Imagination Foundation)

Part of a 747 from 1985 that organizers hope to transport to the Nevada desert (Photo: Big Imagination Foundation)

Remember last year when we posted a photo of a re-configured 747 that was bound for the popular Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert?

Well, the plane never made it. But organizers are still trying.

This week they launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for what’s called “The Imagination Project” which aims to transport the old 747  in pieces from an aircraft boneyard in the Mojave Desert about 500 miles to “the playa” near Black Rock City, Nevada.

The goal is to create something like this at the festival:

Rendering of the modified 747 that will buzz Burning Man this August (Courtesy Lance Powell)

Rendering of the modified 747 that could eventually Burning Man (Courtesy Lance Powell)

But getting this “experiential art piece” to the Burning man is expensive– organizers expect the total cost to be close to $240,000. But in just four days, they have drummed up nearly $40,000 of that via the Indiegogo campaign.

A geodesic dome designed to mimic the airport experience on the dusty playa in 2015 (Image: Big Imagination Foundation)

A geodesic dome designed to mimic the airport experience on the dusty playa in 2015 (Image: Big Imagination Foundation)

Since they were unable to get the big bird to last summer’s event, the group instead constructed an air conditioned geodesic dome designed to mimic an airport experience, including a T.S.A. Zone (for “Total Self Acceptance”) and an “Emotional Baggage Check” area where revelers deposited their emotions on baggage tags.

Why are they doing this? According to this video, it’s “to show that no dream is out of reach.”

Whether or not the plane ever makes it to Burning Man, the group has captured the imagination of nearly everyone who loves a 747— and that’s just about everyone who reads TravelSkills!

(Image: Big Imagination Foundation)

(Image: Big Imagination Foundation)

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Ipad invasion at airports

OTG Philadelphia

Better food, design and more iPads coming to PHL’s Terminal B and elsewhere (Image: OTG)

I remember when Delta dolled up its food and beverage offerings at New York LaGuardia, adding a host of nice new restaurants and bars. In addition to the good grub was a new addition: hundreds of Apple iPads at nearly every table or bar in the airport to be used to order food or browse the web. It was quite a spectacle. Delta expanded the high-tech offering when it took over US Airways gates there at LGA last year.

Now the invasion of the iPad is spreading to other key airports.

Have you been through United’s newly Terminal C at Newark? The iPads are ubiquitous, as is the plethora of new dining and drinking options popping up in restaurant spaces and new cafe-style options smack in the middle of corridors, taking over areas once occupied by moving sidewalks. (see below)

United is busy glitzing up facilities at Newark for the arrival of p.s. flights in October (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

United adding new dining options in Newark Airport corridors (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Healthier food, better shopping, and of course, more iPads, will soon pop up near United gates Houston Intercontinental, and near American gates at Philadelphia International’s Terminal B. The company behind all these improvements is OTG, an award-winning restaurateur with 250 restaurants in 11 airports under its belt.

In Houston, OTG will oversee all food, beverage and retail operations in United’s Terminal B South, Terminal C (including the new C North Concourse coming in 2017) and Terminal E. OTG says that it plans to install a whopping 8,000 (!) iPads throughout the airport, from which customers will find news and info and be able to order food and drink. At some outlets they will have the option of paying for it with MileagePlus points.

OTG Houston

Big, bright dining and iPad ordering coming to Houston IAH (Image: OTG)

At American’s gate areas at Philadelphia’s Terminal B, OTG will phase in a few temporary “pop up” dining options to offer a taste of what’s to come as it builds out the full experience over the next two years. OTG will also introduce iPads at gate areas where passengers can order food and drink to be delivered from nearby airport restaurants. When complete, passengers will be able to use more than 1,000 iPads located at restaurants, lounges or gate areas.  In addition, OTG says that it will install about 1,000 sorely needed power outlets in gate areas.

Ipads are cool, but some travelers may miss the human touch. Scott Mackenzie over at TravelCodex told TravelSkills: “I hate that I can’t do something simple, like order a beer, without using a tablet. Last time it took 20 minutes for a server to receive my order and then tell me it was unavailable.”

Have you used an iPad to order food or drink at the airport recently? What did you think? Please leave your comments below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Curious about Cuba? Don’t miss this [PHOTOS]

Fathom Adonia Santiago

Many Americans will likely visit Cuba via cruise ship. This is Fathom’s 700-passenger Adonia entering the harbor at Santiago de Cuba for the first time (Photo: Fathom)

Last week I was lucky enough to be on the first cruise ship allowed to sail from the US to Cuba in more than 50 years. (see post) Wow! I’ve been on many fantastic trips during my career as a frequent traveler, but it’s rare to participate in something as historic, and truly emotional. (The only other trip that comes close is a ride on the Concorde in its final days.)

During my weeklong journey from Miami to Havana, then around the 750-mile-long island, calling on Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, I learned a lot…and took hundreds of photos.

red dodge in cuba

It’s impossible not to gawk at these rare beauties — there are hundreds in Havana alone (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

If you ever get a chance to travel there, be sure to bring a good camera, extra batteries or portable chargers and fat memory cards because everything…and I mean everything makes a great photo. Seriously, every time I turned around I saw a great picture, whether it was a crumbling building, a beautiful face, unusual or exotic art, a sunset, cemetery or a tranquil courtyard. And then there are all the old cars– they draw your eyes like flowers draw bees and it’s impossible not to stare at them, and of course, snap photos.

Anyway… a few things before I launch into a captioned slide show…

Cost: Even though Cuba is a dirt poor country, it’s not cheap to travel there due to high demand, and as we all know, that demand is going to continue to surge as more Americans fulfill their urge to get there. The problem with all that demand, is that there is not nearly enough supply to handle it, which means prices are already soaring. For example, I was on the Fathom Adonia, which offers a 7-day cruise from Miami to Cuba for a minimum of $1,800 (for a windowless inside cabin). That’s a big price to pay considering most other decent Caribbean cruises run in the $100 per night range, so about $700 for a week. How does Fathom get away with charging that much? Demand! At an onboard news conference in the inaugural voyage, Fathom execs told TravelSkills that they are “charging what the market will bear.” Just this week Fathom expanded is Cuba cruise schedule through the end of 2017. The influx of Americans is driving up prices so much that it’s scaring away tourists from other countries. For example, Aerolineas Argentinas recently suspended its nonstops to Cuba due to lack of demand from Argentines who can no longer afford the island.

Commercial flights between the US and Cuba are expected to commence later this year, but as of now, no fare information is available. Currently, to fly to Cuba, you must book trips via travel agencies and be part of groups traveling there under special licenses.

The emotional highpoint of our trip? The warm Cuban welcome to Havana. We all felt like rock stars! Here’s a slideshow of what it was like. Look at those faces!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

People: Cubans are as curious about us as we are about them. Luckily, I speak Spanish, so it was easier for me to communicate on the island, but I was surprised by how many Cubans speak and understand English very well. While we enjoyed a big, fat emotional welcome at the port in Havana, I was surprised to find that elsewhere, many were not aware that a boatload of  Americans had just landed on the island. Cruise ships are not new to Cuba— it’s only those from American ports that are. So I found out that unless I told the folks I met that I was American, they did not know. And did not ask. Once I said that I was American, though, their eyes lit up, they shook my hand, smiled, patted me on the back or,  in many cases hugged me and said, “Welcome, we are so glad you are here.” Or “It’s been too long” and of course, “You are from America? I have a sister, cousin, brother, friend, etc in Miami!” Anyway, one lesson I learned during my trip is that Cubans are eager to chat and interact with Americans, but as a visitor, you have to initiate the conversation or interaction— once you do that, the results are fantastic and heart warming.

TIP: When you take a photo of a Cuban, show it to them and watch them light up! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TIP: When you take a photo of a Cuban, show it to them and watch them light up! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Poverty: There’s no mistaking that Cuba is a poor country. We heard that the average Cuban brings home about US$28 per month. That means most have to get their basic necessities at “ration stores” throughout the country. While there are other types of stores selling flat screen TVs (about $300), air conditioners ($900) and other luxuries, few Cubans can afford them. From what I saw in the cities we visited, nearly all Cubans are poor, but they are not destitute like you see in other developing countries or neighboring Caribbean islands. I did not see any homeless people living in the streets like I see daily in San Francisco. No evidence of drug addiction. Most Cubans were well-groomed, well-fed and appeared to be in good health.

Begging: I was startled at the large number of people who were begging. Most were pregnant or nursing mothers who asked for money to feed their kids. Knowing that just one US dollar is a full day’s wage for most Cubans, I occasionally obliged, but the problem was that I frequently found myself without any small bills, and found it hard to find places willing to change my larger bills. In the end, I just resorted to using the US one dollar bills I had in my wallet, which were gladly accepted. I found that a more fulfilling way to distribute my American largesse was to tip the ubiquitous musicians, dancers and buskers on the streets, in restaurants and elsewhere– Cuba is overflowing with infectious and really good live music that’s impossible to miss. I noticed that there was a big camaraderie among the women on the ship and the women on the street when they handed out make up, soap, lotion, small toys and other sundries. Do you have a bag of lotions and potions from frequent hotel stays? An old unused cell phone? Bring it to Cuba! They really appreciate it.

Many Americans will likely see Cuba from cruise ships (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Many Americans will likely see Cuba from cruise ships (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cruising. Even if you don’t like cruises, seeing Cuba via cruise ship is perfect for the first time visitor. The pros of the visiting via ship: a guaranteed clean, air conditioned space to sleep in with a good shower every night. Hotel guests in Cuba face a lot of uncertainties due to the country’s faltering infrastructure, so access to wifi, air conditioning, hot water, etc can be sketchy. Not so when you have a cruise ship to sleep on each night. The cons of a cruise ship are of course, less immersion in local culture, and less control of your itinerary. But until Cuba can build more hotels and improve the few that are already there, it’s increasingly likely that many Americans will visit by ship in coming years. Carnival Corporation’s Fathom line is the first to get permission to enter, but nearly every other cruise company has applied for access to this forbidden fruit of the Caribbean.

Don’t miss my first post from this trip: Cruising into Cuba- It’s complicated!

Shave in Cuba

Be sure to engage with locals! I agreed to a shave and made a new friend, Chicha, in Cienfuegos (Photo: Mia Taylor)

 

havana cuba pilot wave

Our first interaction with a real Cuban– when a pilot boat approached to guide our ship into Havana harbor (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Like flowers to bees, these colorful gems draw the eyes of visitors (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Like flowers to bees, these colorful gems draw the eyes of visitors (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Cuban Convertible Currency, or CUC is used by tourists. Locals use pesos (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cuban Convertible Currency, or CUC is used by tourists. 10 CUCs are worth about US$10. Locals use less valuable pesos (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Music is everywhere you turn in Cuba. Great way to leave a tip! (Chris McGinnis)

Music is everywhere you turn in Cuba. Great way to leave a tip! (Chris McGinnis)

 

Amid the ruins of Havana, you'll find gems like this gorgeous, peaceful courtyard (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Amid the ruins of Havana, you’ll find gems like this peaceful courtyard (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Cubans do most of their shopping at government owned "ration stores" like this one. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cubans do most of their shopping at government owned “ration stores” like this one. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Cuba Cienfuegos

It’s not all ruins. This picturesque guest house is in the small seaside town of Cienfuegos. Evidence of Cuba’s extravagant past (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Cuba

Gorgeous view from rooftop of Santiago’s Casa Grande hotel, where I plan to stay on my next trip! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Cuba Fruit

Plenty of fresh fruits and veggies for sale from street vendors (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Cuba music

Music and dancing are ubiquitous on this island of 11 million- be sure to join the fun! (Chris McGinnis)

Have you been to Cuba? Do you plan to go? Please leave your comments below! 

Don’t miss my first post from this trip: Cruising to Cuba- It’s complicated!

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NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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On being missed :*(

Let's face it- being away is tough on the heartstrings (Photo: Nature Therapy / Flickr)

Let’s face it- being away is hard on the heartstrings (Photo: Nature Therapy / Flickr)

I am leaving on a red-eye tonight and my husband and son have mentioned numerous times that they’re going to miss me. As I get out of the car and hoist my bag onto the curb, I look back to see my son’s sad eyes through the back window, and then he forms a heart with his hands. And mine cracks a little. Being missed can be painful when you’re a business traveler.

(This post was written by TravelSkills contributor Nancy Branka)

I’m only to be away for three days. But I feel guilty. Guilty that I’m leaving, but mostly guilty because I won’t miss them. It’s not because I don’t share their feelings. It’s because for the next three days I will be barraged with meetings and social events, problems to solve and victories to celebrate, and the stress of being in a noisy, bustling, unfamiliar city. I won’t have the time or energy to miss them like they miss me.

When I first began to travel for work, my children were very young. Each time I’d go on a trip and my husband would tell me he missed me, I’d translate this to, “Your travel makes more work for me.” That was a mother’s guilt talking. And after all, we’d always split everything 50/50, so I was my 50. With each trip, I would add one more layer of simplicity so his additional child care responsibilities while I was gone would be less onerous. But each time when I returned, he would tell me he missed me. Finally, I said, “I’ve put every detail in place so you basically have no difference in lifestyle whether I’m home or away.” He looked at me almost in disbelief and answered, “I really appreciate that. I do. But child care has nothing to do with it. I missed you because there’s a big void when you’re not here.”

My heart broke with shame that I had somehow interpreted this as a tactical issue, but then again at how sweet it was that my absence was felt.

I’m trying to get OK with being missed. I know it means I have people in my life that care a lot if I’m around or not. But some gifts are harder to receive than others. Now, my flight is boarding and there will be no looking back for three days. I text my son a simple heart emoji. That will have to do for now.

This item first appeared on nancybranka.com

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Lyft surges. Taxis drop. And we love Delta, National and Hampton Inn

Ride-hailing apps like Lyft are surging in their share of business travel spending. (Image: Lyft)

Lyft, surging 44%,  is giving Uber a run for its money (Image: Lyft)

The latest quarterly report on business travelers’ spending habits from expense tracking giant Certify came with a separate supplement that spells out the boom in business for ride-sharing apps at the expense of traditional ground transportation services.

While Uber continues to dominate the new ride-sharing business, the report sees Lyft moving into a stronger second place in the months ahead.

Certify said its Q1 2016 numbers on business traveler spending show that “use of ride-hailing services among business travelers is at an all-time high and shows no signs of slowing.”

In just two years, Certify said, the new ride-sharing segment’s portion of business travelers’ ground transportation spending has soared from just 8 percent in Q1 of 2014 to 46 percent in the most recent quarter. Over the same two-year period, the share for traditional taxis has fallen from 37 to 14 percent, while rental cars’ share declined from 55 to 40 percent.

In the first quarter of this year, Certify said, Uber captured 43 percent of all ground service rides, but it noted that Lyft is showing signs of a surge. From Q4 of 2015 to Q1 of this year, Certify said, Lyft showed a 44 percent jump in business travel transactions.

Ready to give Lyft a try? Use this link to get $50 in free ride credit! 

“We anticipate Lyft will become a bigger player in the business travel market in 2016,” Certify said, citing its recent closing of $1 billion in new investment capital, which included $500 million from General Motors.

Eliminating the spending numbers for rental cars and looking only at taxis and ride-hailing, Certify said, Uber commanded a 69 percent share of all transactions in Q1 2016, making it “the dominant provider for business travelers in every U.S. city.”

Check out how much more Delta earns per traveler compared to other carriers (Image: Certify)

Check out how much more Delta earns per traveler compared to other carriers (Image: Certify)

Other data from the report, which looked at more than 9 million business travel receipts in the first quarter, found that the three most-expensed restaurants were – in order – Starbucks, McDonald’s and Panera Bread; the most-expensed airlines were Delta, American and Southwest; most-expensed hotel brands were Hampton Inn, Marriott and Homewood Suites; and most-expensed car rental companies were National, Enterprise and Hertz. See the charts below:

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NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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A new lie-flat seat on busy California corridor

Bunk in for the trip to LA or SF (Photo: Sleepbus)

Sleepbus CEO Tom Currier bunks in for the inaugural trip to LA from SF (Photo: Sleepbus)

A startup in San Francisco has launched lie-flat seat service…on a bus between downtown San Francisco and west Los Angeles.

Fares on the new Sleepbus are $65 each way (currently discounted to $48). You can bring up to three bags (plus a bike if you want). There’s an attendant, free wi-fi, in-seat power, coffee and a bathroom onboard. And fog or rain won’t slow down this bus.

The southbound bus leaves San Francisco’s downtown Caltrain station at 11 p.m. sharp, and takes about 6 hours, 30 minute to arrive at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles. The bus unloads as soon as it arrives, but Sleepbus says passengers may continue sleeping until “check out time” at 7:30 a.m. The northbound schedule is identical, picking passengers at the Santa Monica Pier North Parking departing at 11 p.m. and arriving in San Francisco the next day at around 5-6 a.m. 

Each bunk has a privacy screen (hopefully a thick one to block snoring sounds) and fresh clean sheets from Casper (the popular online bedding company).

Sleepbus’s Tyler Gothelf told TravelSkills that the first trip to Los Angeles departed April 18th full from SF, and that seats are sold out on four runs over the next week. So far, he says, the company has sold 180 tickets.

Reminds me of the crew rest area on this Boeing 747!

There's the current "pilot" version of Sleepbus (Photo: Sleepbus)

There’s the current “pilot” version of Sleepbus (Photo: Sleepbus)

Sleepbus has rented a rig from an Illinois company for the “pilot phase”, but Gothelf says the company has intentions to switch to Google-style double decker buses in the near future, with bunks upstairs and a lounge downstairs.

Given the hassles of flying the California corridor, what with warnings of longer-than-ever TSA lines, frequent flight delays or cancellations at SFO due to low clouds and fog, traffic hassles on both ends, this might be a good option for some– especially those on the techie neighborhoods that surround Sleepbus endpoints.

And an added bonus is that you could actually sleep on the bus both ways and avoid overly inflated hotel costs in both cities. (SF is now the most expensive city for business travelers in the country.)

Sleepbus Facebook page here. 

Departing SF on the maiden voyage to LA (Photo: Sleepbus)

Departing SF on the maiden voyage to LA on April 18 (Photo: Sleepbus)

In addition, let’s say you need to take a last-minute trip to LA for a meeting. If I booked a trip to SFO-LAX today departing tomorrow and returning the next day, that would run me a whopping $457 round trip. Sleepbus (if it’s not sold out) would run $130.

Check out the UK version of the Sleepbus– the MegabusGold.

If I did it, I’d be sure to pack my Mack’s earplugs and Bucky eye mask. Maybe I’d sleep like I did on my recent Qantas flight to Australia. Or maybe not. But I’m curious.

Would you try Sleepbus? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below.

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE to fly in business class from SFO to China and write about it for TravelSkills! Details here. 

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NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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8 European cities most affected by terrorism

Casa Batllo Barcelona

Summer bookings are up 3% in Barcelona. Pictured: Antoni Gaudi’s Casa Batllo (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

There’s an interesting report out this week that shows how the recent terror attacks in Brussels have affected summer travel bookings to Europe.

Some cities are faring just fine. But others have taken a big hit according to a report by ForwardKeys, a company that uses big data to predict future travel bookings.

While advance bookings for summer trips as of March 29 are down 5% overall, some European cities will actually see more visitors this summer. The data show higher bookings in Amsterdam (+1%), Madrid (+2%) and Barcelona (+3%).

But other cities won’t fare as well. For example, bookings to Istanbul are down a painful 36%. In Brussels, they are down 24%, and Paris is down 13%.

The report states, “The bomb attacks in Brussels have severely affected flight bookings to the Belgium capital. In the days following the attacks on 22 March, net bookings – new bookings minus cancellations – fell by 136% when compared with last year.” By comparison, bookings to Paris dropped 101% in the aftermath of the attacks there last year.

Related: Worst summer ever for European trips? Or the best? 

Forward Keys Europe

(Chart: Forward Data SL)

Read the full report (PDF) from ForwardKeys here.

How have the terror attacks in Europe affected your desire or willingness to travel there? Please leave your comments below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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San Francisco’s dubious distinction

San Francisco Skyline

San Francisco ranks number one in the nation in business travel costs. (Image: SF Travel)

Every year, the trade publication Business Travel News (BTN) conducts a comprehensive study of the total daily costs that road warriors pay in various U.S. and foreign cities. And for the third year in a row, San Francisco took the top honors in the U.S.

Whether it’s an honor is questionable, however: BTN said that in 2015, the City by the Bay remained the most expensive destination in the nation for business travel, with an average daily cost of $547.34 for a hotel room, a rental car and meals. That’s an increase of 7.4 percent from 2014, and it beat out New York ($523.05) and Boston ($502.69), which ranked second and third. Here’s a link to the full results of the study.

BTN said the average amount paid for a San Francisco hotel stay in 2015 was $370.78 per night, including $52.36 in sales tax, occupancy tax and surcharges – an increase of 9.6 percent over 2014. In some cities, the year-over-year increases in average hotel costs paid by business travelers were quite substantial; e.g., BTN said the rate of increase was 22.4 percent in Detroit, 18.2 percent in San Jose, 15.7 percent in Los Angeles, 16 percent in Las Vegas, 14.3 percent in Boston and 14 percent in Seattle.

One of the interesting things about the detailed breakdowns of costs for hotels and rental cars is the fact that the BTN study separates out the level of taxes and fees, which can be incredibly high. For instance, it said that car rentals in San Francisco and Santa Barbara carried taxes and fees that averaged more than 50 percent of the actual rental rate; in some cities (Boston and Little Rock), that figure topped 60 percent.

The study did not examine the posted rates of hotels or rental car companies; instead, it looked at the actual average daily rate paid by business travelers from January through November, collected from a leading global corporate travel agency. Dining prices were gathered through a survey of restaurants in each city.

BTN said that the overall average daily cost for business travel in the top 100 U.S. cities during 2015 rose 3.9 percent over the previous year, to $318.80. It found a different trend overseas, noting that in 13 of the 19 non-U.S. Western Hemisphere cities covered in the study, the average per diem dropped by double digit percentages. And in the 59 cities covered in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the average per diem dropped from $362 in 2014 to $323 last year.

The most expensive city in Europe, the Middle East and Africa was London, with an average per diem for hotel, rental car and meals of $554.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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Is this Hilton room a dream or nightmare?

Barbie room 300dpi Web-2

“Buenas tardes, Mr. McGinnis. We sorry to inform you that the hotel is completely sold out. However, we do have one room available. It’s our new Barbie room. Would that be okay?”

How would you handle that situation? It’s the first thing that went through my head when we received this release from Hilton today about a special hotel room they’ve created in Panama City.

It would be a nightmare for me, but I imagine that there are some readers out there who’d love to spend the night in this shockingly pink Barbie Room. This is the second iteration of the Barbie Room– the first was installed at a Hilton in Buenos Aires in 2014. And it seems to be part of a trend to insert fantasy brands into the business travel experience, such as Eva Air’s Hello Kitty planes and ANA’s Star Wars themed jets. 

Thoughts?

Barbie room 300dpi Web-5

Here’s the release. Scroll down for the rest of the photos.

The Hilton Panama and Mattel have teamed up to create a new Barbie Room to the latest generation of Barbie admirers in Panama City, Panama. Available March 8 through August 15, 2016, the room gives fans a chance to enjoy the magic of the toy world’s fashion icon.

Bringing glamour, fun and fantasy to life with all the elements of a Barbie-themed paradise, the Barbie Room offers a connecting deluxe room for parents, grandparents or family members. Guests will be welcomed to the hotel with an oversized display from the most famous doll in the world for the first of many photographs.

Available for a period of five months, the room took four weeks to complete from design concept to unveiling. It features exclusive Barbie items not found anywhere else and welcomes guests to a Barbie experience like no other with décor, bedding, movies, toys, dolls, special amenities,games, furniture, pillows, toiletries, costumes, a changing room and a runway where the fashion icon’s fans can model.

“Since opening, Hilton Panama has made every effort to offer innovative products and services our guests will appreciate and this latest initiative reinforces our commitment,” said Andres Korngold, director of business development, Hilton Panama. “We recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between work and home and the Barbie Room is an excellent way to help our business, and frequent travelers, enjoy an unforgettable experience with their families.”

Rates for the Barbie room run at a premium– starting at about $200 per night. You can even book the Barbie Room by redeeming Hilton HHonors points – it’s a category 5 hotel, with redemptions from 21,000 to 35,000 per night.

Would you book the Barbie room? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below.

Barbie room 300dpi Web-1

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Barbie room 300dpi Web-4

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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Worst summer ever for European trips? Or the best?

Getting an upgrade on a flight to Paris is tough (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Paris this summer? Maybe. Maybe not. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Depending on how you look at it, this could be the best or the worst summer ever for Americans traveling to Europe.

Why the best? Because as it looks right now, it’s going to be a lot less crowded. And it’s likely going to be the least expensive summer in recent memory.

Terrorism in Brussels, Paris and Istanbul is taking a toll on advance bookings. In the wake of the recent attacks, hotel occupancy in Brussels and other European capitals declined 15-25 percent according to the Wall Street Journal. It also reports that the World Travel Organization and Thomas Cook expect fewer European bookings. Big travel search engines and airlines report a big drop in searches for trips to Europe. And just as the industry was recovering from the Paris attacks, the U.S. State Department issued a warning for Americans traveling to Europe from now through mid-June. While Americans will likely take trips that are already booked, it’s less likely that they’ll book new trips to Europe until time heals those wounds and we see the return of some sense of security. It’s not just Americans who are skittish about European trips– the big Asian market, especially first-time Chinese travelers, are holding off, too. And the problem is that right now, we are in the key planning months for summer trips. For many, Europe will be off the table.

Another reason it could be the best summer in Europe? It’s likely going to be very inexpensive– even during the peak July-August period. Prices for everything from transatlantic airline tickets and hotel rooms to t-shirts and cappuccinos will decline significantly for two reasons: weak demand and the strength of the U.S. dollar. Currently the exchange rate is hovering at around $1.10 per euro, down from around $1.40 two years ago. A weak European economy means weak demand for transatlantic airline tickets from the other side of the pond– and that could translate into bigger airfare discounts for Americans. Plus there is new low-fare competition from the likes of Norwegian Air and WOW Air. Keep an eye on summer fare sales on transatlantic flights, which usually start this month- I predict we’ll see some very steep discounts. It could get easier to redeem frequent flyer miles on European itineraries, too. (Stay tuned to TravelSkills as we’ll monitor this closely.)

Honolulu for $89 plus change? It's possible! This is Hilton Hawaiian Village (Chris McGinnis)

Hawaii is likely going to be a hot ticket this summer. Why? Keep reading. This is Hilton Hawaiian Village (Chris McGinnis)

Why could this summer be the worst? Well, if you are in the business of sending or hosting Americans in Europe, it’s going to be a tough summer. I’m sure that most TravelSkills readers won’t let recent events sway their decisions about travel to Europe much- we are a resilient bunch. But… what would you do if you were responsible for chaperoning a group of high school kids to Europe? Would you feel good about sending your senior parents on a trip Paris or Rome? My father has a business trip planned for Istanbul in May, and I’m concerned. If he did not already have the trip booked, I’d probably advise him to stay home. If you are a meeting planner, would you risk booking a big convention in Europe in this environment? I didn’t think so.

Now let’s look at the flipside of all this. In the US, the economy is moving along well, consumer confidence is up, and we are all working hard. That means that there’s a healthy appetite for summer vacations this year. So I’m expecting we’ll see a LOT more demand for popular domestic, Canadian or Mexican options. Hawaii will likely have a huge summer. Cuba will likely be off the charts. San Francisco just reported that 2015 was its busiest tourist year…ever. So if you have any trips planned closer to home during the peak months of July and August, now’s the time to make those reservations.… I don’t think you are going to save much by booking early, but at least you’ll get the most convenient flights, choicest hotel rooms and right-sized rental cars. Remember, convenience is worth paying for!

What about you? Are you planning on going to Europe this year? Would you send your kids over there this summer? Are the deals too good to pass up? Please leave your comments below.

–Chris McGinnis

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How to really upgrade your next car rental

National's Premier Selection lets you upgrade on the spot. (Image: National Car Rental)

National’s Premier Selection lets you upgrade on the spot. (Image: National Car Rental)

Car rentals tend to be one of the more routine parts of business travel: You book your standard mid-sized sedan and don’t really think about it — it’s just transportation. But rental companies have been expanding their fleets in recent years with more luxurious, powerful and sporty models so that road warriors can put a bit of excitement and comfort into their driving experience and feel a little extra oomph when they step on the gas pedal.

And when you’re trying to close a deal with an undecided client, it can’t hurt your image when you pick him or her up for lunch with a set of fancy wheels.

sponsored-sliderTypical of this trend is National Car Rental’s Premier Selection, now entering its third year. Renters who walk into the National lots at 25 major U.S. airport locations will see a clearly designated area where the Premier Selection vehicles are kept, and they can easily upgrade to one no matter what type of car they’ve reserved.

This year, National is rolling out an expanded range of Audi and BMW vehicles in its Premier Selection fleet, and is also adding the outdoorsy 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser.

The special fleet started out with posh rides like Cadillac Escalades, Lincoln Navigators and Lexus IS250s and has been branching out from there. In 2014, one newcomer to the Premier Selection fleet was the Kia K900 sedan, a full-size, rear-drive luxury vehicle loaded with all the extras. (Note: Not all vehicle types may be available at all locations.)

Maserati's Ghibli S Q$: Can you handle it? (Image: Maserati)

Maserati’s Ghibli S Q4 Can you handle it? (Image: Maserati)

Another newcomer to the fleet about a year ago is the high-performance, all-wheel-drive version of Maserati’s Ghibli S Q4. It’s equipped with a twin-turbo V6 Ferrari engine that cranks out more than 400 horsepower, and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It also has a leather interior, heated front seats with eight-way power adjustments, dual zone climate control and other luxury amenities. 

Who knows? You might like one of these hot cars so much that you end up buying one.

A study commissioned by Enterprise Holdings, National’s parent company, found that renters at National’s airport locations were 45 percent more likely to buy a new car within six months of their rental than the average U.S. consumer — and of those who did so, more than three-fourths bought a vehicle different from the type they already owned. The finding “strongly indicates that many car rental customers are using their rentals to experience new makes and models,” a spokesman said.

National created its Premier Selection program with input from a few hundred of its most loyal Emerald Club members. Customers who see something they like in the Premier Selection area can easily upgrade without going to the rental counter.

Would you upgrade your next car rental to Premier Selection? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below.

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 

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Why airline & hotel rates remain stubbornly high

Strong demand is putting upward pressure on air fares and hotels. (Image: Jim Glab)

Strong demand is putting upward pressure on air fares and hotel rates. (Image: Jim Glab)

Air fares worldwide are going down – but just a little. With fuel prices crashing, you’d think air fares would follow suit. And hotel prices just keep going up. What’s behind the relatively high and increasing levels of business travel costs? One word: demand.

Travel demand is booming, according to a pair of new reports – and that means airlines and hoteliers have little incentive to use price reductions as a way to stimulate business.

The International Air Transport Association – a trade group for the world’s airlines – said that global demand for air travel in 2015 jumped 6.5 percent over the previous year, a result that it said was the strongest since the world started pulling out of the Global Financial Crisis in 2010; that number was also well above the industry’s 10-year average growth rate of 5.5 percent.

IATA noted that after adjustments for the stronger U.S. dollar, worldwide air fares dropped by about 5 percent last year from 2014.

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Business people know that when demand outpaces supply, it puts upward pressure on prices. And that’s just what happened in the airline industry: While demand was up 6.5 percent, the number of available seat-miles operated by the world’s airlines last year rose only 5.6 percent over 2014. As a result, the industry’s load factor (i.e., percentage of seats filled) rose to a record level of 80 percent globally and to 85 percent in the US.  

Meanwhile, road warriors who aren’t planning to trim their travel schedule this year should probably budget a bit more for hotel stays: In its latest forecast on the U.S. lodging industry, PwC US – which tracks industry metrics — said the country’s strong economic fundamentals are pointing to continued heavy demand for hotel rooms.

The aerie atop the new Hyatt Herald Square in NYC (Photo: Hyatt)

The aerie atop the new Hyatt Herald Square in NYC (Photo: Hyatt)

According to PwC’s analysis, the percentage of occupied rooms at U.S. hotels is expected to hit 65.7 percent this year. That’s up only two-tenths of a point from 2015, but it represents the highest occupancy rate the industry has seen since 1981.

If demand is surging, what about supply? The number of hotel rooms in the country is expected to increase in 2016, but only by a meager 1.9 percent, PwC said.  As a result, it is forecasting a 5.2 percent increase this year in average daily room rates. And that’s coming on top of a 4.4 percent increase in 2015 over the previous year.

“We expect peak occupancy levels in select markets should give hotel operators the confidence to meaningfully increase average rates, although the strength of the US Dollar may have an impact, particularly on gateway markets,” PwC said.

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More TSA PreCheck love + Expense Reports + Longer trips

PreCheck makes life easier, a survey finds. (Image: TSA)

PreCheck makes life easier, a new survey finds. (Image: TSA)

A new survey of business travelers confirms what many already know: That enrolling in the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program makes life a lot easier.

That mirrors the results of our own recent reader survey, which gave positive marks to PreCheck from those who belong to it.

The new survey, from the Global Business Travel Association, finds that PreCheck membership impacts not only a road warrior’s satisfaction with the airport security experience, but also with his or her flight.

It found that fully two-thirds of travelers enrolled in PreCheck expressed satisfaction with the way they moved through airport security, vs. only 47 percent who do not belong to the expedited screening program. Two-thirds of PreCheck enrollees also expressed satisfaction with their flight experience, vs. 54 percent of non-members.

Of the surveyed business travelers who are already in PreCheck, those age 55-plus showed a much greater participation rate than others: 51 percent of those Boomer travelers are in PreCheck, compared with 37 percent of GenXers (age 35-54) and only 32 percent of Millennials (18-34).

On other subjects, the poll found that business travelers are increasingly satisfied with the formerly odious task of expense reporting, no doubt thanks to the adoption of digital tools for that task by their employers. Surprisingly, Boomers seem to be adapting to the new electronic expense reporting environment better than the supposedly tech-savvy younger crowd. Four-fifths of Boomer business travelers said they were very satisfied with the way they keep track of receipts, and 74 percent said the same about expense reporting; for Millennials, the comparable figures were 59 percent and 55 percent.

One thing the Millennial road warriors excel at is extending a business trip for leisure purposes: 43 percent of them said they had done so recently,. compared with about a third of Boomers and GenXers.

In other findings, GBTA said convenient scheduling continues to be the most important single factor in a business traveler’s selection and booking of flights, cited by 33 percent of those surveyed, with price in second place (27 percent) and frequent flyer program considerations in third (20 percent). And almost half said that their company requires them to follow its travel policy guidelines when booking trips.

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TSA PreCheck membership is exploding- rate your experience

TSA PreCheck now has 355 sign-up centers. (Image: TSA)

TSA PreCheck now has 355 sign-up centers. (Image: TSA)

On my way back from New York to San Francisco last week, I was the ONLY traveler in the PreCheck line at JFK on a Monday morning at around 10 am. Granted, it’s not really rush hour, but still… it felt like a ghost town.

It was little more than nine months ago that the Transportation Security Administration announced that membership in its trusted traveler program — which entitles members to expedited screening procedures — had passed the 1 million mark. And now that membership number has doubled.

TSA said this week that PreCheck now has more than 2 million travelers enrolled. And member applications are continuing to increase.

The agency has also continued to expand the option to more U.S. airports. TSA said that during 2015, it added 48 more airports to the program, so it now offers a total of 450 special screening lanes at 167 U.S. airports. 

Over the past year or so, the agency embarked on a huge expansion of enrollment centers for the PreCheck program, using an outside vendor called MorphoTrust, a subsidiary of the French identity firm Safran.

The firm has boosted the number of enrollment offices, which it calls IdentoGO Centers, to more than 355 locations nationwide. And even though that expansion has resulted in a doubling of PreCheck membership since last March, “IdentoGO Centers are now processing nearly 50 percent more applications every day, compared to earlier in 2015,” the company said.

Besides opening hundreds of new enrollment centers, the company has also started a mobile enrollment program for businesses and has used a partnership with H&R Block to create more retail options for walk-in sign-ups.

PreCheck membership costs $85 for five years. Expedited screening is also open to members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection trusted traveler programs like Global Entry.

A few months ago, TSA said that it had started to scale back on the practice of steering non-members of PreCheck into the PreCheck screening lanes in order to more equitably balance the loads on its inspectors.

Readers: Is it taking you longer to get through PreCheck lines recently? Overall, how would you rate your opinion of PreCheck these days?

Despite a lot of the bellyaching I hear, I’d still say it’s pretty excellent! I know there are plenty of folks who may not agree, but to me PreCheck is one of the best things to happen to air travel since the introduction of seatback TV 🙂

Please vote and post comments below.

How would you rate your recent PreCheck experiences?

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Bright outlook for business travel

A busy travel day at Denver International. (Image: Jim Glab)

A busy travel day at Denver International’s TSA checkpoints. (Image: Jim Glab)

That seat next to you on the plane is going to remain occupied…and you’ll be paying more for hotel and rental cars.

U.S. business travel is likely to show steady growth over the next two years, and the cost of that travel will continue to increase as well according to the latest projection from the Global Business Travel Association Foundation in a study sponsored by Visa.

GBTA’s latest Outlook report says that U.S. business travel spending is expected to increase by 3.2 percent this year, to $299.9 billion; and another 3.5 percent in 2017, to $310.4 billion.

Much of that increase will be accounted for by higher prices for business travel services, GBTA said — a 2.6 percent increase overall in 2016 and 3.0 percent in 2017. Here’s its outlook for price changes in various sectors this year:

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“Over the next two years, U.S. business travel spending will grow at just above 3 percent, but this is largely driven by price, not transaction level increases,” said GBTA executive director Michael McCormick. “In this environment of modest transaction growth, low inflation levels and global uncertainty – we can expect continued consolidation in the business travel industry.”

The group noted that price increases for business travel have been at “historically low levels” through 2015, and the increases over the next two years represent a return to normal trends.

Business travel to international destinations “will continue to face challenges from poor global macroeconomic fundamentals,” GBTA said — especially to the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

Average spending on group travel (conferences, trade shows, training, etc.) declined slightly last year, from $700 to $694 per trip, the group said, but the volume of group travel is expected to grow by 3 percent over the next two years.  The volume of individual business trips only increased fractionally last year, GBTA said, but it is expected to grow by 2.9 percent this year.

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5 most useless travel gadgets

Does anyone really need a neck pillow? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Does anyone really need a neck pillow? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Travel gadgets. Some are truly useful, but most of the time, many so-called “must have” items get lost at the bottom of my carry-on, left in a drawer, or just tossed out.

Here are a few of our favorite, eye-rolling additions to travel gadget mania that seems to grip travelers (and those who love them) at this time of year. Do you agree?

Neck pillows. The paper-thin, questionably clean white rectangles that airlines pass off as pillows are not the greatest. But those cushy, or inflatable neck pillows you see stuffed into (or tied onto ) carry-on bags serve little purpose other than to identify the user as a novice traveler. Are you a neck pillow fan? Tell us why in the comments!

Passport covers. Oh the vanity. Passport covers serve no real purpose. Does a passport really need that much protection? The covers only delay you when approaching the airline check-in counter or immigration desk (or kiosk) since they must be removed for scanning. Please save yourself (and everyone in line behind you) a few minutes and leave the useless sleeves at home.

Big bulky headphones & frequent travel aren't a good mix (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Big bulky headphones & frequent travel aren’t a good mix (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Bulky headphones. You won’t find too many truly frequent travelers toting, or worse, wearing, those oversized, bulky headphones that seem to be all the rage these days. Their biggest drawback is that they are so difficult to pack. And they get in the way and bang into things when wearing them in small enclosed spaces like airplane cabins. Noise canceling earbuds or slimline headphones are much better.

Seat back organizers. These carefully constructed organized pouches that strap to the seat in front of you are just plain annoying. Do you really need to bring that many gadgets, paperwork, and electronics to set up a full-on executive desk in an economy class seat? What happens when something mistakenly falls out when your seatmate escapes to the bathroom? Working on a plane is fine; setting up a C-level suite at 35,000 feet is not.

Camera. It used to be that a big bulky and expensive camera was a status symbol. Now it’s a relic. While it sounds surprising to even include this popular item in this list, most smartphones now provide excellent picture quality. So lugging along a separate camera is increasingly a waste of precious space. Sure, professional photographers can’t do without their full repertoire of equipment, but for the rest of us, why bulk up your bag?

This is by no means an exhaustive list… are their any gadgets you could live without? Or, what’s the most useful gadget in your bag? Please share them below! 

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‘Uber of the Skies’ shot down by regulators, court

An Uber-type flight-sharing service for private pilots has been grounded. (Image: Jim Glab)

An Uber-type flight-sharing service for private pilots has been grounded. (Image: Jim Glab)

There are hundreds of thousands of licensed private pilots in the U.S., so why not enlist them to create an on-call air travel ride-sharing service just like Uber does with cars?

Sounds like a great idea, and a Boston company called Flytenow decided to try it. And now it’s going out of business. The concept was blocked by the Federal Aviation Administration earlier this year, and that decision has now been upheld by a federal appeals court, effectively putting an end to the experiment.

The problem? The FAA said that because it solicits passengers from the public, such a company would be a common carrier, meaning that participating aviators would have to hold a commercial pilot’s license, just like airline pilots do.

Flytenow had argued that the individuals looking to book flights were “aviation enthusiasts,” and any transaction between them and the pilots would simply be a sharing of expenses, which is allowed for private pilots.

But the FAA and the court didn’t agree. “In the Opinion of the Court, Judge Pillard held that pilots sharing expenses on Flytenow were engaged in common carriage, making them the only common carriers (i.e., commercial airliners) in history to not seek a profit,” Flytenow said on a blog. The company’s website has been taken down.

The company said its lawyers are looking into possible avenues of appeal, but for now “we are left with no choice but to shut down Flytenow.”

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Study: Ticket prices trending downward worldwide

Good news for flyers: Ticket prices are dropping. (Image: Jim Glab)

Good news for flyers: Ticket prices are dropping. (Image: Jim Glab)

A new study by the online travel giant Expedia finds that the average price of an airline ticket has dropped significantly this year — although more in some places than others. And it predicts a continuation of that trend in 2016.

Adjusting for exchange rates, Expedia said that during the 12-month period from October 2014 to October 2015, average economy class ticket prices worldwide dropped by about 8 percent. The declines were even bigger in July and August, with year-over-year drops of 13 and 10 percent respectively.

For trips within North America, the reduction was slightly smaller — an average decline of 5 percent through the first 10 months of 2015, Expedia said. The change was much more dramatic across the Atlantic: The average price of economy class tickets for intra-European travel was down 17 percent this year vs. the first 10 months of 2014. Ticket prices from North America to the Asia-Pacific region were down 13 percent from a year ago, Expedia noted.

The study also determined the relative savings available from advance purchase. Looking at tickets purchased at least 21 days before departure, Expedia found that the average cost savings was 31 percent for intra-North American economy travel and 27 percent for premium seats. From North America to Europe, there was a 21 percent savings in economy and 20 percent on front-cabin seats.

Ticket prices spike sharply as departure time approaches. (Source: Expedia)

Ticket prices spike sharply as departure time approaches. (Source: Expedia)

As for the best day to buy a ticket, Expedia said that whereas in earlier years its studies determined that Tuesday and Wednesday offered the best prices, this time it found that weekends are better, “but Tuesdays are still close behind.”

Looking ahead to 2016, the Expedia analysts predict that “prices will continue to trend downward as airlines continue to add capacity,” although it did not estimate how much they might decline.

The company said it has introduced a new consumer feature: a tool (“powered by a proprietary statistical model”) that customers can use during their fare searches. It provides a percentage of the likelihood that a given fare will increase or decrease a week in the future, to help the user make a buy-now-or-wait decision. 

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Healthy eating for travelers: LAX, Virgin America top 2015 ratings

Virgin America's Protein Plate breakfast. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Virgin America’s Protein Plate breakfast. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Do you try to eat healthy when you travel? Lots of road warriors figure it’s easy to lower the bar and indulge themselves on the road, because why not? Still, plenty of travelers  are trying to keep their health in mind. But the availability of healthy menu items can be inconsistent; some airlines and airports are much better than others when it comes to serving up nutritious food.

A pair of new studies show just how inconsistent they can be– and which ones are doing the best job.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has come out with its 2015 study of menu options at major airports, and it finds things are continuing to get better overall: 71 percent of the restaurants at the 30 biggest U.S. airports now offer “at least one high-fiber, plant-based vegan meal option,” the group found — a 25 percent gain from 2001.

The committee gave Los Angeles International the number one ranking, with healthy menu options offered at 44 of 49 restaurants there, or 90 percent. The group cited one LAX outlet in particular — Real Food Daily — for a good selection of entrees with “a mix of vegetables, beans and grains.”

Newark Liberty ranked second with an 84 percent rate, followed by San Francisco International and Philadelphia International, each with 82 percent.

At the bottom of the list was Minneapolis-St. Paul, where only 56 percent of the eateries served up at least one dish that met the committee’s standards; Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson wasn’t much better, with a 57 percent rate. The committee said those two airports had “a high proportion of fast-food restaurant chains, including Burger King and McDonald’s, clogging their airport terminals.”

Meanwhile, the website Diet Detective has come out with its 2015 analysis of in-flight food on U.S. airlines, and once again Virgin America was at the top of its list, earning four and a half out of five stars. The site said Virgin “is still doing a fantastic job of creating healthy food and offering strong choices in all categories except for individual snacks” — but it noted that “all of the airlines could do better with their snack choices.”

The site put Delta and JetBlue in a tie for second place, each with four stars. It noted that Virgin, Delta and JetBlue all deserve special credit for starting to share nutritional information on some of their offerings.

At the bottom of the rankings, Diet Detective gave “shame on you” ratings to Alaska, Spirit and Frontier, and noted that “Hawaiian Air was not much better.”

The best thing about Diet Detective’s study is that it gives calorie counts and nutritional data for specific menu items at each airline; it even tells you how many minutes of walking you’d have to do to burn off a specific in-flight meal. And it makes you realize some things are counter-intuitive — e.g. if you think you’re saving calories on Delta by ordering a snack box instead of a meal, think again: The average Delta meal is 546 calories, the average snack box 712.

Sadly, the Diet Detective observed that the calorie count per in-flight food item has been on a steady upward trend in recent years, from an average of 360 calories in 2012 to 400 this year. What’s more, the airlines “appear to be decreasing the number of choices they offer,” the site said.

Readers: What’s your favorite airport restaurant/in-flight meal option for healthy dining?  Otherwise, what’s your biggest eating indulgence on the road? Post comments below.

 

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Air travel: It’s great, except for the other passengers

Is there such a thing as in-flight etiquette any more/ (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Is there such a thing as in-flight etiquette any more? (Image: Chris McGinnis)

The U.S. airline trade group Airlines for America is predicting that the crowds of air travelers during the Thanksgiving period this month will be the biggest in eight years. So if you’re planning a trip on those busy days, better steel yourself for some unpleasant in-flight experiences on a fully packed aircraft.

A new survey of more than 1,000 consumers from Expedia identifies some of the most irksome aspects of modern air travel and fellow passengers, including an analysis of one of the biggest flashpoints of air rage — the reclining seat.

RECLINE WHINE: Almost one-third of the respondents in the Expedia-sponsored survey said reclining seats should be banned altogether, or that seat reclining should be limited to specific times on short-haul flights. About the same amount said they would never recline their own seat. Of those who do push back their seats, 30 percent said they only do so to sleep and 28 percent said they would recline only on a flight of more than three hours. But an annoying 13 percent said they lean back immediately after takeoff no matter what. (That’s the person who always sits in front of me!) Another 13 percent said they recline their seat only when the person in front of them does the same.

But the survey uncovered more of the dark side of seat reclining as well. More than a quarter of respondents said they would recline their seat “punitively” if they considered the person right behind them to be rude or aggressive, Expedia said. Twelve percent said they would recline even if the passenger to their rear was noticeably tall, and 10 percent would do so if the passenger behind them was obviously pregnant.

CONFRONTATION? We’ve all seen stories of flight attendants trying to deal with misbehaving individuals, but how would fellow passengers react if they saw someone exhibiting blatantly bad in-flight behavior? According to the survey, 49 percent would do nothing — but one in five said they would confront the misbehaver directly. One out of 10 would use their phone’s video  to record the action, and three percent would “shame” them by putting it on social media.

Parents who don't control unruly kids are high on the list of bad behaviors (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Parents who don’t control unruly kids are high on the list of bad behaviors (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

KICKER. The most hated behaviors or characteristics of fellow passengers are about what you’d expect. Seatback kickers topped the list, followed in order by parents who fail to control their unruly kids and by passengers who — let’s be honest — stink. But there are a lot of other unwelcome seatmates as well, from boozers to over-talkative individuals.  (Last year, TravelSkills listed Chris’s personal picks for the kinds of passengers he least likes to sit near.)

And buried in the Expedia report was this nugget: “Just over 1% of Americans report membership in the Mile High Club, having been ‘intimate’ on a plane, either with a traveler they knew, or a traveler they met on board.”

Readers: What’s the worst/most annoying/most disgusting behavior you’ve seen or experienced from your fellow passengers? Post comments below. 

Take the TravelSkills Reader Survey, please!

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Global Entry gets more global + New York’s lowest ranked hotels +Best/worst hotel programs for awards + More flat seats

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Want more business trips?

Millennials would like to travel more on business; Baby Boomers, not so much. (Image: Delta)

Millennials would like to travel more on business; Baby Boomers, not so much. (Image: Delta)

Would you like to travel on business even more than you do now?  If that seems like a chilling prospect, you’re probably getting on in years, according to a new study by the Global Business Travel Association and American Express.

The online survey of some 845 U.S. road warriors about various aspects of business travel found that Millennials (which it defines as those age 34 or younger) are almost twice as likely as Baby Boomers (age 55 and up) to want to add more trips to their schedules — by a rate of 45 percent to 26 percent.   

Thirty-six percent of the respondents in all age groups said they’d like to travel more on business, while only 16 percent wanted to stay in the home office more often. Almost half — 48 percent — said they were traveling just about the right amount.

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You might think that tech-savvy Millennials would be happy to meet with colleagues or clients via Skype or videoconferencing instead of flying somewhere to see them, but the research found that 57 percent of younger business travelers are big believers in face-to-face meetings. That’s not to say technology doesn’t affect other parts of their experience, though — e.g., 46 percent of Millennials said they use social media to meet up with friends on business trips, compared with only 17 percent of Baby Boomers.

Asked about eight different aspects of the business travel experience, the respondents rated hotel stays as the most satisfying part of their trips (78 percent), while going through airport security was the most frustrating, garnering only a 45 percent positive rating — down 10 points from the previous quarter. Airplane travel ranked second from the bottom at 55 percent positive.

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Maybe because they’ve never known any other way of doing it, Millennials were less likely to have a problem with airport security than their older counterparts (35 percent vs. 59 percent for Baby Boomers and 56 percent for Gen Xers).

One thing the generations seem to agree on is that they’d rather not have to put up with fellow passengers talking on their phones while in flight. Two-thirds of the survey respondents said they were opposed to this, vs. just 9 percent who thought it was a good idea.

Are you a millennial traveler or boomer? Agree with these findings? Please leave your comments below! 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Global Entry gets more global + New York’s lowest ranked hotels +Best/worst hotel programs for awards + More flat seats

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Uber gaining fast on taxis

In Manhattan, taxis are losing millions of rides to Uber. (Image: Jim Glab)

In Manhattan, taxis are losing millions of rides to Uber. (Image: Jim Glab)

Are licensed taxi drivers justified in their fears that ride-sharing apps like Uber are going to take away a significant portion of their business? In New York City — the nation’s largest market for hired rides — the answer appears to be yes.

The statistical website Fivethirtyeight.com got data from the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission for the second quarter of 2015 and compared it with numbers from the same quarter a year earlier to see how the market was changing.

It found that in the borough of Manhattan’s “core” area — i.e., the southern half of the island, where the vast bulk of the business is — the number of passengers picked up by Uber drivers during the quarter increased by 3.82 million year-over-year. And the number of taxi pick-ups? It declined by almost the same amount — 3.83 million.

“Throughout Manhattan, riders have shifted from taxis to Ubers millions of times, perhaps attracted to features Uber promotes as advantages: newer cars, no need to hail, driver ratings and no tipping,” Fivethirtyeight.com said.

Taxis are still carrying more than four times as many riders as Uber drivers in New York City overall, but the trend lines are clearly going up for Uber and down for taxis.

Meanwhile, although business is good for Uber, some of its drivers are less than thrilled with the current business model. An Uber drivers’ group called Uber Freedom has called for a three-day strike in major U.S. cities over this weekend, urging drivers to shut down their apps and stay off the job.

The group wants Uber to add a tipping option to the app, to increase rates for UberX rides by 60 percent, and increase the minimum fare and the cancellation fee to $7.

Get $20 off your first Uber ride! 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: New Two brand new United Clubs + Jennifer Aniston needs a shower + Best Megahub? + Big Hilton/SkyMiles bonus 


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#1 Boeing 787 Dreamliner hub in the U.S.

United is concentrating its 787 fleet at San Francisco International. (Image: United)

United is concentrating its 787 fleet at San Francisco International. (Image: United)

With recent announcements of even more Dreamliner routes out of San Francisco International, United’s current and future routes at that airport will make it the biggest 787 hub in the U.S., according to a report in TheStreet.com.

United currently has 22 787 Dreamliners in its fleet and expects to take delivery of three more by the end of 2015.

Over the last several days, the carrier announced new 787 service from San Francisco to Xi’an, China as well as new upcoming routes to Auckland, New Zealand and Tel Aviv, Israel.

As we reported a couple of months ago, United is also planning to redeploy some 787s onto other transpacific routes from SFO, including Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo Haneda.

Related: Flying on a brand new United 787 Dreamliner

TheStreet.com noted that when all the route plans are in operation, United will be flying 787s from San Francisco to nine global destinations — more than any other U.S. airport.

A United executive told the publication that the economics of the 787 work best for routes out of the airline’s San Francisco hub. He said they are “the longest stage length flights in our system and the airplane will benefit you the most where you fly the longest flights, which offer the greatest fuel burn savings, and also {because} the West Coast is really competitive, so we are offering our best airplane product on the most competitive routes.”

Virgin Atlantic is one of several carriers putting 787 Dreamliners onto Bay Area routes. (Image: Virgin)

Virgin Atlantic is one of several carriers putting 787 Dreamliners onto Bay Area routes- starting this month. (Image: Virgin)

At SFO, United is currently using Dreamliners across the Pacific to Osaka, Japan and Chengdu, China; China Southern has 787 flights to Guangzhou; and Virgin Atlantic is poised to begin SFO-London Heathrow flights with a new 787-9 beginning October 24.

European budget carrier Norwegian has started flying Dreamliners from Oakland to both Oslo and Stockholm. And at San Jose, Dreamliners are available on flights to Tokyo Narita with ANA; to Beijing with Hainan Airlines; and next spring to London Heathrow with a new British Airways 787-9.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: New Two brand new United Clubs + Jennifer Aniston needs a shower + Best Megahub? + Big Hilton/SkyMiles bonus 

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Is Jennifer Aniston tweaking U.S. airlines?

Jennifer Aniston Emirates

Jennifer Aniston needs a shower, a bar & a flat bed when she flies. (Image: Emirates / YouTube)

Emirates Airline is paying actress Jennifer Aniston millions of dollars as the centerpiece of its new marketing campaign, but with the first TV commercial now out, some are wondering if the company is using her as part of a transparent attack its ongoing battle against its U.S. competition.

In the new ad, Aniston dreams she’s on a flight that — to her great dismay — has no showers and no bar. Then she wakes up on an Emirates flight and starts telling the bartender about the horrors of her low-service nightmare.


The thing is, all of the flight attendants that she encounters in her bad dream are clearly Americans — implying that she is flying on a U.S. carrier that provides vastly inferior services and passenger amenities compared to the Emirates experience. (The galley scene is pretty hilarious…and spot on IMO.)

Fair enough, but the ad might also be seen in the context of the ongoing battle between the major U.S. global carriers (Delta, United and American) and their Big Three Middle Eastern competitors –Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways — all of which are expanding their U.S. route networks in a bid to capture a greater share of intercontinental traffic.

U.S. airlines have launched an intensive p.r. and lobbying campaign to convince the public, Congress and government regulators that the Mideast carriers are competing unfairly by benefiting from direct and indirect subsidies from their governments.

The U.S. carriers want the government to step in and restrict the access of the Mideast airlines to additional U.S. markets — something regulators have not yet done. But disinterested observers warn that such an action by the U.S. — which has always supported Open Skies relationships with other countries — could invite retaliation and ultimately stifle worldwide route development and hurt the global economy.

Do you think America’s Sweetheart suspected she was stepping into a global transportation maelstrom when she put on that robe and stepped in front of the cameras?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: New hotel openings + Cathay Pacific’s new lounge + Joining PreCheck gets easier + Air India’s San Francisco plans + New perks from United, Virgin America

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Every day in every way hotels getting better & better

Fabulous bathrooms like this one at the Upper House in Hong Kong are a big item in hotels' growing list of improvements. (Image: Starwood)

Fabulous bathrooms like this one at the Upper House in Hong Kong are a big item in hotels’ growing list of improvements. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Major U.S. hotels may have delayed a number of necessary capital improvement projects during and after the Great Recession, but they’re making up for it now with record spending on renovations, upgrades and other guest-related improvements.

That’s according to the latest report from hotel expert Bjorn Hanson at New York University’s Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism, who tracks trends in the lodging industry.

Hanson said the U.S. hotel industry’s capital expenditures in 2015 are expected to reach $6.4 billion, a new record and an increase of 7 percent over 2014. Budgets for revamps are growing these days as U.S. hotels are seeing record or near-record room occupancies and steadily improving revenues. Hanson noted that capital expenditures have been rising every year since 2010.

Some of the more significant new trends in hotel improvements, his report said, include lots of work on guest bathrooms, “especially replacing tub/shower units with walk-in showers;” new or improved fitness rooms; and redesigned lobby areas, “primarily to appeal to Millennials, but also to compete with the many new competitor lobby models.”

Hanson said hotels are also spending more money on boosting Internet capacity and bandwidth not just in guest rooms but also in public areas like lobbies, meeting rooms and restaurants; coming up with new restaurant and food concepts, again with Millennials in mind; putting new, larger and smarter flat-screen TVs into guest rooms; and adding in-room amenities like new coffee makers, iPads, radio/alarm clocks and so on.

Part of the reason for the increased spending is that many properties belong to big national chains that set specific standards their managed and franchised members must adhere to. But a new factor is also at work, Hanson said: “In addition to brand standards influencing capital expenditures, social media postings are resulting in additional capital expenditures as owners become more aware of and respond to criticisms and unfavorable comments. This effect became significant starting around 2012 and continues to increase.”

Have you seen any big changes in your favorite hotels? Tell us about it… 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: New hotel openings + Cathay Pacific’s new lounge + Joining PreCheck gets easier + Air India’s San Francisco plans + New perks from United, Virgin America

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Surprised, delighted by Virgin America, United

Free internet on Virgin America's new A320s compliments of Netflix (Photo: Virgin America)

Free internet on Virgin America’s new A320s compliments of Netflix (Photo: Virgin America)

Airlines are out to surprise and delight frequent travelers these days, and this week we have two more examples of how.

Free wi-fi: Starting today, those lucky enough to be flying on Virgin America’s newest Airbus A320 jets will get free wi-fi compliments of Netflix.

Now through mid-2016 Virgin has teamed up with Netflix to offer free wi-fi (and free streaming of content like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black) onboard its brand new jets outfitted with the new ViaSat system.

Currently, there are only two of these shiny new A320s darting across the country, but Virgin will be deploying a new one every month through next June, for a total of 10.

The free wi-fi deal is only available on the new A320s with ViaSat– if you are on a Gogo equipped plane, you’ll still have to pay. (But here’s How to save $$ on pricey inflight wi-fi.) Regrettably, there is currently no way to know if the plane you are on has ViaSat or Gogo until you board.

Related: How to watch Netflix on your Marriott TV

To kickoff the announcement, Virgin is unveiling a House of Cards and Netflix-branded aircraft (pictured above). Also, beginning next month, it will be offering House of Cards seasons 1-3 on all flights via its recently-upgraded Red entertainment system.

Never one to miss out on a show-biz angle, Virgin America is calling in the stars for the launch of this new partnership today. Here’s a what they’ve got going on today:

To help kickoff the surprise unveiling of a House of Cards and Netflix-branded aircraft will be Michael Kelly, the Emmy-nominated star of the Netflix original series House of Cards. Kelly’s character Doug Stamper, who serves as President Frank Underwood’s loyal consultant and Machiavellian fixer, will drop in on Virgin America Flight 1 from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA). Guests onboard the flight will be able to binge-watch Netflix content in Virgin America’s mood-lit cabin and will be treated to a signature Whiskey Whistleblower cocktail, while Kelly – as Doug Stamper – dispenses some tongue-in-cheek, morally-ambiguous political advice over the aircraft’s intercom before take-off.

 

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Secret Upgrades. Last week a new plan to surprise and delight United’s best customers with “secret” upgrades was revealed in an employee memo.

While United confirmed the existence of the program to TravelSkills, details such as criteria for selection remain sketchy.

According the BrianSumers.com blog, United intends to upgrade certain “high value customers” to first class from coach on domestic flights, or to international first class from business class on a segment-by-segment basis.

While most high value customers tend to score upgrades based on their status a few days before a flight, the new surprise and delight plan apparently notifies passengers a few weeks ahead of time.

Have you been the recipient of a mysterious “secret” upgrade yet? Were you surprised or delighted? Let us know!

And finally, one more thing that will surprise and delight you: FREE COFFEE! Today only. Check out my tweet!


NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: SFO could get world’s longest flight + PreCheck: Fewer free rides + Plight of the tall traveler + Photos: New United first class seat + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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Big inside-the-airport hotels coming soon at DEN, JFK, SFO

The new Westin at Denver International opens this fall. (Image: Westin)

The new Westin at Denver International opens this fall. (Image: Westin)

If an “airport hotel” is a few miles away from the terminals, is it really an airport hotel?  Maybe so, but it can’t compare with a location right on the airport grounds, especially at large airports — like the Hilton at Chicago O’Hare, or the two Hyatts at Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Not many of these have been built in recent years, but three of them are in the works at some of the nation’s busiest airports — Denver, New York JFK and San Francisco.

The first to open will be the new Westin at Denver International Airport, due to start accepting guests on November 19.  If you’ve passed through the airport recently, you must have noticed the big, curvey, greenish-blue building at the south end of the main terminal. The Westin has 519 rooms including 35 suites, all thoroughly soundproofed. The same structure accommodates the airport’s new Transit Center, which will be the terminus for the light rail line that starts carrying passengers next spring. The trains will run every 15 minutes on a 35-minute ride linking the airport with Union Station in downtown Denver. The hotel has a fitness studio, indoor pool and multiple dining venues. Rates start around $229.

The classic TWA terminal at New York JFK will serve as public areas for a new hotel. (Image: DmItry Avdeev/Wikiimedia Commons)

The classic TWA terminal at New York JFK will provide the public areas for a new hotel. (Image: Dmitry Avdeev/Wikiimedia Commons)

In New York, the Port Authority and Governor Andrew Cuomo have just given approval to a lease deal on the old TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport that will permit the construction of a 505-room hotel on the site with 40,000 square feet of meeting space and at least half a dozen restaurants. It will be built by a partnership of JetBlue Airways and MCR Development, and the original Eero Saarinen-designed TWA terminal building — with sweeping curves and huge windows — will serve as the lobby. To be called the TWA Flight Center Hotel and due to open in 2018, it will be the only hotel on the grounds of JFK. It’s connected to JetBlue’s Terminal 5, and it will boast a 10,000 square foot observation deck for planespotters.

Artist't renderign of the new hotel coming to San Francisco International. (Image: San Francisco Airport)

Artist’s rendering of the new hotel coming to San Francisco International. (Image: San Francisco Airport)

Officials in San Francisco are about to close the bidding for construction of a four-star hotel on the grounds of San Francisco International that will be owned by the airport but operated by a private company yet to be selected. Also aiming at a 2018 completion date, the hotel will have 350 rooms, a restaurant, wine and sushi bar, casual cafe, rooftop cocktail lounge, health club, pool and spa. Located near the entrance to the airport, it will be linked to an AirTrain station for easy access to the terminals. The building site — at South McDonnell Road, Interstate 101 and the off-ramp from the interstate to the airport — was previously occupied by a Hilton that was demolished 20 years ago prior to construction of SFO’s new international terminal.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: SFO could get world’s longest flight + PreCheck: Fewer free rides + Plight of the tall traveler + Photos: New United first class seat + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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Travel app usage surprisingly low

How many travel apps do you have on your phone? (Image: Jim Glab)

How many travel apps do you have on your phone? (Image: Jim Glab)

Do you use travel apps on your smartphone to book or track any elements of your travel? If so, you’re actually in the minority, according to a new survey by the Global Business Travel Association Foundation (GBTA) and Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

They polled more than 500 U.S. and Canadian road warriors, and found that only four in 10 have used a smartphone to book a hotel in the past six months — and hotel apps are the most frequently downloaded onto those devices. You can’t book if you don’t have apps, and the study found that “less than half of the business travelers surveyed have downloaded airline, hotel, travel reservation or general travel apps” onto their phones.

While just 39 percent booked a hotel on a smartphone app, 58 percent did so on a laptop and 43 percent used a desktop. Just 25 percent booked with a tablet.

To no one’s surprise, use of smartphone apps for travel purposes  — like so many other things — declines with age. Travelers 55 and over were much less likely to have travel apps on their phones than their younger colleagues.

Another surprise (to us, at least, here in San Francisco) is that only about a third of business travelers have downloaded ground transport apps like Uber, Lyft, etc. Is that you? Then sign up here today and get your first ride for free! 

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“When it comes to how the apps are used, Millennials are more likely than Baby Boomers to use apps for booking hotels, hotel check-in, booking car rentals, checking reviews and online translation,” GBTA said. “Gen-X travelers are more likely than Baby Boomers to use travel apps for navigation, hotel check-in, tracking expenses, booking car rentals and online translation.”

Hotel apps dominated the types of travel apps downloaded, followed by general travel booking apps like online travel agencies, followed by ground transport apps and then review apps.

Looking at online hotel reservations that were not made through a company’s own online booking tool, 54 percent of the travelers said they booked directly with a hotel, while 41 percent used a third-party website and 5 percent used an event registration site.

“Interestingly, 42 percent who used an alternative channel said they are not required to share their travel information with their company,” GBTA noted. “This hampers a travel buyer’s ability to monitor and enforce policy compliance and also means they may not be able to locate their traveler in an emergency.”

What apps are on your smart phone? Which ones do you use the most? 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: TSA PreCheck: No more free rides + Plight of the tall traveler + Photos: New United first class seat + Save money on calls from other countries + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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How to survive a trip to San Francisco

San Francisco's newest hotel, Dreamboat, docked on the Embarcadero (Image: Vimeo / Nic Bucci)

San Francisco’s newest hotel, Dreamboat, docked on the Embarcadero (Image: Vimeo / Nic Bucci)

Nearly every frequent traveler visits San Francisco at least one time each year. And it’s most likely that visit will take place between September and December, the city’s peak convention season. With San Francisco at the epicenter of a global boom, techies from around the world are flooding into town this fall.

For example, San Francisco-based cloud computing giant Salesforce.com puts on its annual Dreamforce conference this week at the city’s sprawling Moscone Convention Center, attracting 60,000+ people (who spent more than $225 million during the 2014 event). The event has grown so huge that Salesforce is housing more than 1,000 attendees on a big Celebrity Cruise ship called “Dreamboat” docked this week on the Embarcadero at Pier 27. (See photo above)

This year, Oracle’s OpenWorld conference runs October 25-29 and attracts a similarly-super-sized crowd– Elton John is taking to the stage to entertain the throngs.

When a big “citywide” like that comes to town, nearly every hotel in the Bay Area is sold out, or its rates are hyper-inflated. During these peak weeks,  you’ll pay a minimum of about $500 for an decent room and feel lucky that you even found one. When citywides come into town, Airbnb hosts lick their chops and fluff their pillows. Restaurant reservations become scant. And Uber drivers kiss their families goodbye and work double shifts for several days in a row. And locals grumble when downtown streets are closed for the duration leading to traffic headaches.

Oh, and don’t forget about the Super Bowl (February 7), which is expected to draw about 70,000 overnight visitors to the Bay Area during the week before and after the big game.

Video: Don’t make these 8 mistakes in San Francisco! 

So now’s probably a great time to offer some advice to the arriving throngs—and this advice is good whether you are coming San Francisco next week or next year. (If you are in SF, please forward this to your future guests!)

1>Don’t schedule business meetings on Friday afternoons after 2 p.m. On Fridays, when New York closes for the weekend at 5 pm eastern, so does much of San Francisco (at 2 pm Pacific) especially when it’s warm and sunny outside. Cocktail and beer carts start making the rounds in offices at about 3 p.m. While there are exceptions to this rule, your Bay Area colleagues are likely to groan if you send out a calendar invite for a 4 p.m. meeting on Friday. Make it at 11 a.m. instead.

San Francisco's a town that gets started early...even when it's foggy out (Photo: Frank Schulenburg / Flickr)

San Francisco’s a town that gets started early…even when it’s foggy out (Photo: Frank Schulenburg / Flickr)

2>Don’t be surprised about an early start. In a similar vein, know that the workday starts relatively early here, so an 8:30 a.m. meeting is not considered out of order. If that feels too early for you, just bring along some caffeine from Blue Bottle, Ritual or Philz and you’ll be fine. Lunch hour begins promptly at noon, but you find that locals may ask you to show up at 11:45 a.m. “to beat the crowds.” Expect the same early schedule for dinner meetings, which can and do start as early at 6 p.m. Most restaurants are empty by 9:30 on weekdays and by 10:30 p.m. on weekends.

3>Try ridesharing. This is the hometown of ridesharing giants Uber, Sidecar and Lyft, so download their apps and use them if you haven’t already done so– just be aware of “surge pricing” when conventions are in town. Here you can sample all the different “flavors” of Uber, which include the standard town car UberBLACK, private car “citizen driver” UberX (cheaper than taxis), UberSUV, UberXL, and the new UberPOOL where you share a ride with someone else headed in the same direction. Don’t rent a car at the airport unless it’s absolutely essential. SFO rental rates are notoriously high, the car rental center at is distant and unloved, and downtown hotel parking rates are in the $60 per night range. If you’ve not signed up for Uber yet, do so here and get $20 off your first ride.  In addition to your discount, TravelSkills gets a $20 Uber discount when you sign up, so help us out 🙂 

4>Don’t put off making dinner reservations. This town is HOT and wealthy right now, full of cool kids and visitors with sophisticated palates who love to dine out. If you are here to try the city’s best restaurants, make reservations at least two or three weeks in advance…or more for top spots like Boulevard, Frances, State Bird Provisions, Gary Danko, and others.  One common mistake among visitors is thinking that the city’s best Chinese food is in Chinatown. Not necessarily. Grab an Uber or jump on Muni and head out to the western neighborhoods like the Sunset or Inner Richmond which stake claim to the real thing.

MUNI, pictured here, and BART are not the same thing. (Photo Torbakhopper / Flickr)

MUNI, pictured here, and BART are not the same thing. (Photo Torbakhopper / Flickr)

5>Don’t confuse subways. You should know that San Francisco has TWO main subway systems—BART is the rapid rail regional system with several stations along Market Street connecting out to the suburbs and airport. MUNI is the slower central city subway & streetcar system used frequently (and frequently derided) by inner city residents. Of course, there are San Francisco’s fabled cable cars, but those are mostly a tourist attraction and rarely a primary means of transport for locals.

6>Don’t think BART to airport is going to save much time. BART is a great option for those who travel light, but you should know that takes 30-40 minutes to get to the Embarcadero from SFO (for $8.65 each way). Plus, you’ll have to walk to your hotel from the nearest BART station (see below). If there’s no traffic, a taxi or Uber can get you to or from the airport in about 20 minutes. UberBLACK flat rates are $68. UberX can be about half that. And cabs run about $50 including tip.

7>Consider hills when walking. First timers with hotels on Nob Hill may look at a map and think, “Oh, I’ll just walk to my hotel from Market Street. It’s close.” Well, yes, it’s close as the bird flies, but try lugging your rollaboard up the side of the hill to the Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont, Scarlet Huntington or Mark Hopkins and you’ll learn quickly that this may not be the smartest option. Especially if you are wearing heels!

8>Don’t forget your layers. While the rest of the country is experiencing an autumnal cool-off right now, SF is experiencing its typical October heat wave, so that new black sweater or suit won’t work when it’s 85 in the city during the day. But of course, it could be perfect in a matter of hours when the fog, a storm or cold front blow in off the Pacific. (By the way, wear black here. It always works.)

Finally, never call San Francisco “Frisco” or “San Fran.” Laid back locals won’t say anything, but inside, you can bet they are groaning. To be safe, just call it “The City” or San Francisco.

I’m sure our many Bay Area readers can add to this list, so please fire away in the comments section below and help your fellow frequent traveler headed west!

–Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Airport updates in LAX, DFW + Photos: New United first class seat + Save money on calls from other countries + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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How to avoid worn out hotel rooms

Last time I arrived at the Marriott Anaheim, the lobby looked like this (Chris McGinnis)

Last time I arrived at the Marriott Anaheim, the lobby looked like this (Chris McGinnis)

Dear Chris:

Is it just me or are Marriotts getting really old and worn out?  I’ve stayed in three in the last five weeks and they were very dated and worn out.  Carpet threadbare…tiny bathrooms.   Old furniture.  Musty smelling.

Marriott used to be a good mid range value but frankly they are reminding me of old Holiday Inns.

Do other people feel this way?   Is Marriott planning on any refreshment of these old places?

B.N. 
Tampa, FL

Hey B.N…. It’s not just you! And not just Marriott.

When we are at the top of an economic cycle as we are now, hotels are full and owners are not willing to close rooms for refurbishment if they can get top dollar by renting them.

When the cycle declines you’ll see hotels start to spend on upgrades.

Along the same lines, I bet we’ll see airlines add back some of the bennies recently stripped away from frequent flyer programs when the economy cycles down again, as it always does…

One way to avoid the thread bare rooms is to remember that hotels typically remodel floor by floor, so always remember to ask for a recently refurbished or new room when you check in.

Here are 6 more smart questions to ask at hotel check in. And here’s an archive of new hotels we’ve covered lately on TravelSkills!

 


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10 most popular: Sleeping around + Delta fare sale + hotel rate shock + Avoiding airport lines

TravelSkills took off for Toronto on Air Canada last week. Stay tuned for our Trip Report! (Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills took off for Toronto on Air Canada last week. Stay tuned for our Trip Report! (Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order)… plus a few newsy nuggets we missed.

1. Employers take the heat: Binge drinking, sleeping around on business trips

2. Can you guess the rates? Super Bowl shock: San Francisco hotel prices soar

3. New routes: American heads south + BA upgrades Austin + Sydney skeds + Delta to Paris + New Delhi nonstop

4. Well, is it? Illegal to disobey fasten seat belt sign?Weekend Edition

5. Spend your miles: Delta’s fall fare sale — with a twist

6. Straight from your phone: A new way to recover from delays & cancellations

7. This free app saves you time: Avoiding long customs & immigration lines

8. More ways to earn: Alaska expands mileage options

9. Cute? Or creepy? Watch this video. And then this one.

10. Branding matters: Delta: ‘Up-selling’ is working

Spectacular view from the lovely Colette Restaurant at the Thompson Toronto hotel (Chris McGinnis)

Spectacular view from the lovely Colette Restaurant at the Thompson Toronto hotel (Chris McGinnis)

Mini-review: The Thompson Toronto hotel. 

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