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Travel restrictions are back for Cuba-bound Americans; 80 hotels off limits

November 8, 2017

Americans can’t stay at the the gorgeous new $500/night Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski recently opened on Havana’s Parque Central (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

It was only in last year that U.S. airlines got the right to operate scheduled flights to Cuba. But now the future of that service might be in doubt due to new travel restrictions imposed by the Trump Administration that take effect this week.

The new rules do not ban or restrict U.S. airlines or cruise lines from operating in Cuba. But they do impose strict new limits on the kind of trips Americans can take to the island – and that could dampen demand to the point where airlines reduce or eliminate flight schedules there. (Even before the new rules, some U.S. carriers had already cut back their schedules to Cuba because they had overestimated demand.)

The new regulations also bar Americans from staying at dozens of hotels or shopping in stores that the U.S. says are owned by commercial entities controlled by the Cuban military. The Dept of State amassed a list of nearly 80 hotels now off-limits to Americans, including the newest, nicest hotel in town, the gorgeous sugar-white Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski in central Havana which goes for about $500 per night. (In a country where citizens earn about $1 per day.) Instead, the Washington Post reports, “the new regulations encourage Americans to stay in rooms rented by private citizens and to eat in private restaurants that have been allowed for a number of years as part of a growing Cuban private sector.” Which means stays at private casas particulares (via Airbnb) and meals at family-run paladares are still okay. Also, none of the new Marriott/Starwood hotels appear on the banned list.

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis gets a warm welcome in Havana in 2016 in a rare window of opportunity for American travel to Cuba (Photo: TravelSkills)

The biggest impact is likely to come from the Administration’s decision to put a halt to individual “people-to-people” travel that was allowed up until this week, along with other non-academic individual trips.

Instead, Americans who want to go to Cuba will now have to travel as part of a group for a purpose approved by the Treasury Department; each group must be accompanied by someone from the tour operator or organization sponsoring the trip– similar to how the few American visited Cuba prior to Obama’s reestablishment of diplomatic relations and “don’t ask don’t tell” rules for Americans traveling there.

Even under the previous rules, individual vacation trips were not officially allowed, since a U.S. trade embargo remained in place. But U.S. travelers could self-identify their trips as falling into one of many approved categories, but enforcement was lax to non-existent. Most Americans traveled to Cuba just like they traveled to any other country in the world.

During a trip to Cuba in January, I wondered if we were there in a rare window of opportunity- CLICK PHOTO to read that post (Chris McGinnis)

Thankfully, those who already booked an upcoming flight or hotel stay in Cuba before the new rules took effect this week are exempted for the purposes of that trip. More details about the new restrictions are now on the Treasury Department website.

What’s important to know is that even after Obama normalized diplomatic relations with Cuba, the trade embargo remained in effect. Only at act of Congress can get rid of that, so don’t expect travel to Cuba to get easier any time soon.

What do you think about restrictions on American travel to Cuba? Step in the right direction or step back in time? Please leave your comments below.

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Trying out the new Wall Street Journal travel service

October 31, 2017

If you don’t have a corporate travel department behind you, this could help snag discounts and perks. (Image: Jim Glab)

Now this is interesting. The Wall Street Journal has teamed with Upside Travel and launched “The Wall Street Journal Business Travel Service” which it says is designed “exclusively for the 200 million do-it-yourself business travelers.” Primarily, these are travelers who don’t work for large corporations with tight travel policies and entire departments or agencies set up to enforce them, and reap the savings of bulk buying. They are also known as unmanaged travelers or rogue travelers.

We’ve written about Upside Travel before (see post). It’s the new service started by Jay Walker (the guy who invented Priceline) that works like this: Instead of booking your usual first-choice airline, flight time and hotel, you let the Upside website put together an air-hotel package for you. Once you decide if the alternatives work, and if the discounts and gift cards offers are enticing enough, you book the trip. Gift cards come from 50 different retailers, including Amazon.com and Whole Foods, so they are pretty much as good as cash rebates.

Unlike traditional travel agencies, neither Upside or the WSJ Business Travel Service charge fees. Users earn frequent flyer miles for bookings, but do not earn the all-important elite qualifying miles. Delta and Southwest are not participants in the program. Users do not always earn hotel program points. A customer service rep I spoke with said that they will take your program number and call the hotel and try to get the points, but that does not always happen. Also, these bookings do earn points with credits cards and are coded as travel-related purchases for bonuses.

Front page of the new WSJ Business Travel Service site

While Upside has pushed the discounts and gift card aspect of the service, the WSJ seems more focused on the service aspect. It says, “With this new service, any business traveler now has the level of comprehensive service and access previously only available to employees of the very largest companies, with no fees, commitments or corporate approvals required. Business travelers can connect with travel experts for instant service via phone, chat or email.”

Since anyone can use the Wall Street Journal Travel Service (no membership, subscription or other fees required) I’m wondering if there’s any difference in using it or the Upside site. Customers booking through the WSJ service get day passes to airport lounges via a deal it has with LoungeBuddy. A spokesperson added that Wall Street Journal subscribers ($400-$500 per year) who use the service get a set of Bose QuietComfort II headphones ($350) after their first trip

I put the new WSJ service to the test and it did produce some substantial savings for a two day trip to New York City from San Francisco in mid November. Here’s what I found.

When I fly to New York, I usually like to fly Delta (for the service, the miles and elite perks) and stay at at Marriott branded hotel for the points and the recognition my elite status brings.

When I enter my dates on the WSJ site, it comes back with flights on American, Alaska/Virgin, JetBlue, United. It also offers up the Marriott Courtyard on Fifth Avenue (rated 4.0 on TripAdvisor). Total package price: $786.78.

If I accepted the site’s first offer of a United roundtrip and stay at Marriott Courtyard, my company would save $15, and I’d get a gift card worth $30. Not bad!

But here’s where this service is different. It also offered me three other alternatives for hotel stays in NYC. If I chose to stay at the NH Jolly Madison hotel (rated 3.5 on TripAdvisor and only a few blocks away) instead, my company would save $42 and I would get a gift certificate of $130. Hmmm. Now that seems worth the switch to me, even with the loss of my Marriott points.

First offer is a United flight and a Marriott Courtyard stay for $786.78

The most valuable alternative is a combo of the same United flights and a stay at the Jolly Madison hotel for $758.99, plus I get a $130 gift card to use at Amazon or Whole Foods or other retailers.

Have you or would you try The Wall Street Journal Business Travel Service? Have you tried Upside? Please leave your comments below.

When travel breaks your heart

July 3, 2017

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

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Global travelers shrug off political, terror concerns

June 7, 2017

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.”

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Add buffer days to avoid travel burnout

June 3, 2017

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.

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.

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Get ready: Busy summer ahead

May 23, 2017

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.

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

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‘Big Data’ tips for saving on summer travel

April 27, 2017

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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How to get the most for your miles this summer

April 11, 2017

Booking award flights this summer? Read this first. (Image: Jim Glab)

Now that you’ve saved up thousands of miles/points for your summer vacation, do you ever stop to consider strategies for stretching them the farthest? Or do you just book the flights you want and pay whatever it costs?

A new study from personal finance website NerdWallet suggests that the value of your points/miles can vary considerably depending on whether you book economy vs. premium class, one-way or roundtrip flights, and how long your flight is.

For instance, the study found that frequent flyer points (NerdWallet refers to both points and miles as “points” for consistency) are worth significantly more for domestic travel when you book an economy seat as opposed to business or first class – unless your flight is a long one.

Source: NerdWallet

Points used to book domestic roundtrip flights in economy were worth 1.03 cents for travel during peak periods, or 1.08 cents for off-peak, NerdWallet found, while the corresponding values for premium seats were 0.83/0.86 cents.

“If you prefer to fly business, you might want to pay cash, or save your points for an international and/or one-way flight,” NerdWallet said.

However, the study also found a big discrepancy in point values for booking premium cabins based on flight distance. On flights of less than 1,000 miles, points had an average value of 0.72 cent, vs. 1.13 cents for flights longer than 1,000 miles – a difference 10 times larger than that for economy flights.

Another finding that might seem counter-intuitive is that you get more for your miles/points when you book one-way flights vs. roundtrips.

In 62 percent of the trips that NerdWallet studied, one-way flights had higher point values than round-trips. “In most cases, if you’re paying with points, the price of a one-way trip is half the cost of a round trip. When paying with cash, however, one-way generally costs more than half the price of a round-trip ticket. Therefore, per-point values are higher when flying one-way,” the company said.

See full Nerdwallet study here.

Source: NerdWallet

“The trip will likely cost the same number of points overall. But you’ll have flexibility, allowing you to go home earlier or later than you planned, or continue your adventure in another city or country,” said NerdWallet’s Sean McQuay.

For domestic trips, the average point value for one-way flights was 1.21 cents, vs. 0.99 cents for roundtrips (the average for all classes of service). The gap was even greater for international travel – a value of 1.15 cents for one-way travel vs. 0.89 for roundtrips.

To determine the value of your points for a specific trip, divide the cash price by the number of points required; you’ll generally get a result somewhat higher or lower than 1 cent per point. “As a simple rule of thumb, if the value of each point is less than 1 cent, use cash and keep your points for a higher-value opportunity,” McQuay said.

My biggest point splurge last year: 45K round trip SFO-Lihue on United Kauai! (Chris McGinnis)

But he adds that there are times when it’s a better strategy to pay with points/miles even if their value is relatively low. One time is when your points/miles are nearing expiration. Another is in the event you might have to change or cancel your flight – because change fees for tickets bought with cash are generally much higher than those for tickets paid with points.

Readers: What’s the best “deal” you’ve snagged on an award trip? Please leave your comments below.

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What travelers need to know about spring 2017

March 20, 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.

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.

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.

Protecting travelers is big business

February 13, 2017

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, and 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.

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.

Trump’s ban seen hurting business travel

February 6, 2017

Will Middle Eastern airports like Dubai’s see fewer business travelers this year? (Image: Chris McGinnis)

The Trump Administration’s ban on travel to the U.S. for citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries is likely to hurt global business travel, according to a new poll.

The Global Business Travel Association last week surveyed its membership of corporate travel buyers and found that 31 percent of the respondents expect Trump’s executive order to result in a reduction in their company’s business travel over the next three months.

Some 29 percent said they expect that dampening effect to continue over the following three to six months as well, and 28 percent said it could well keep hurting travel over the next six to 12 months and beyond.

A majority of respondents – 63 percent – said they expected to see other countries respond to the ban by making travel more difficult for Americans, while 56 percent said it could lead to difficulties for travel to the U.S., and 54 percent were concerned about an increase in threats to U.S. travelers abroad.

Corporate travel managers worry about threats to their employees overseas. (Image: jim Glab)

When asked about top concerns regarding the immigration ban on their company’s business travelers, “uncertainty regarding green card and approved visa credibility to enter the United States (55 percent), harassment of U.S. travelers to and from the Middle East (50 percent) and increased traveler harassment in general (50 percent) topped the list,” GBTA said.

Asked about their own views on the ban, half of the respondents opposed it while 38 percent supported it. The ban – which affects citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen – led to massive confusion and demonstrations at major U.S. airports over the last two weeks.

Late Friday, a federal judge in Washington temporarily halted the travel ban saying that “no one is above the law, even the president.”

And after a weekend of adjustment, it appears that we are back to business as usual at US airports and borders, but that could change quickly.

It’s going to be an interesting four years…

Have you had any personal experience around the travel ban? Do you feel different now traveling as an American abroad? Please leave your comments below.

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Test your travel smarts with this fun trivia quiz

January 30, 2017

Which is the only European carrier flying the Boeing 747-8? Take our quiz if you know…or to find out! (Image: Boeing)

Calling all Travel Geeks! It’s time for another fun TravelSkills trivia quiz. This time, we are testing your general travel knowledge and finding out how closely you have read and retained the news, tips and tricks from the TravelSkills blog. Take our easy 3-minute, 12-question trivia test below.

If you are stumped for an answer, just search for it in our search box. Easy!

If you can’t see what’s embedded below, here’s a link to it.

Take it now and get your score! Based on your performance, you’ll be deemed Very Smart, Devoted Reader, Getting There or Keep Reading. Which one are you?

Tell your friends and compare scores! Tweet your score and encourage others to take the quiz using the #TravelSkills hash tag for a chance to win a free one-time pass to the United Club! Cleverest tweet (as judged by Chris) wins the United Club pass on Feb 28, 2017.

So far, readers have answered correctly the question about a big NYC hotel undergoing extensive renovations. Most frequently answered IN-correctly is a question about the cost of in-flight wi-fi. Come on and take the test!

If you have fun with this, take our previous quizzes, too!

PLANE SPOTTING SKILLS

NAME THAT AIRPORT

BUSINESS CLASS SEAT

–Chris McGinnis

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Booking trips, saving money on the new Upside site

January 17, 2017

My next trip to NYC on United & stay at Best Western will help pay for my groceries next month (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Do you have the freedom to select your own travel suppliers on business trips – and are you flexible? Would you like like a $200 Amazon, Whole Foods or Home Depot gift card with your next travel booking? If so, you’re the target for for Upside, which officially rolls out this week.

Below, I put it to the test for an upcoming trip to NYC– it found a slightly better deal that I could, and offered me a $200 gift card. Not bad! We also gave Upside a whirl on an Atlanta-Los Angeles trip and it really performed. (See below) Try it to see what it can do for you.

Here’s some background: Upside was put together by a small group of former Priceline executives, including Priceline founder Jay Walker, and has been in beta since last fall. Walker told TravelSkills: “Most business travelers have a valuable, hidden asset that’s worth a small fortune on every trip they take. The asset? Flexibility. Specifically, small amounts of flexibility on the flights and hotels that a business traveler is willing to use on any given trip.” This week the company snagged a cool $50 million investment, and is now valued at about $200 million.

Here’s how it works: Instead of booking your usual first-choice airline, flight time and hotel, you let the Upside website put together an air-hotel package using suppliers that you have pre-approved. Once you decide if the alternatives work, and if the discounts and gift cards offers are enticing enough, you book the trip.

Upside says that you will typically see gift card amounts of $100 to $200, and savings of 5 to 15 percent in travel costs, and enough to make the $35 fee a wash. However, during the current launch period the $35 is waived.

The top tier of about 50 gift cards you choose from when booking with Upside- CLICK for full list

The top tier of about 50 gift cards you choose from when booking with Upside- create account to see full list

The electronic gift cards are good at 50 major stores or online retailers (such as Amazon or Whole Foods), and they will be delivered to your mobile phone shortly after you buy the trip arrangements. Upside says that those who take just five or six trips a year through Upside can easily rack up $1,000 in gift cards – or more, if they travel internationally in business class. (That will definitely help lower my Whole Foods bill!)

Users will be able to book their arrangements through the Upside app or its website; round-the-clock phone support is also available. There’s no requirement to buy the package Upside suggests, and once you do, it can be cancelled or changed quickly if circumstances warrant.

Upside says that users will earn airline frequent flyer miles for the flights it selects, but they will not earn hotel points. Important: While you will earn airline miles/segments, you will only ear elite qualifying miles/dollars when booking American or Alaska Air with Upside (for now, at least). UPDATE: Currently, Delta is not offered on Upside.

Another important point: Upside purchases code as “travel” so you’ll earn credit card bonuses, such as the 3x points you get for Chase Sapphire Reserve or Barclaycard.

So how will Upside make money? “We buy travel from suppliers at very advantageous rates– rates so low that we can pass along a substantial discount, take our cut and provide gift cards to travelers,” said a company spokesperson.

Are you willing to give it a try? That’s the question Upside is waiting for you to answer, and they are dangling a nice carrot — a gift card — in front of travelers to get them to try.

Updates: 1) The Upside app will roll out next month so for now just use the website, which works from smartphones. 2) Currently, Delta and Southwest Airlines do not work with Upside. 3) To change seat assignments, you must visit individual airline site after Upside reservation is completed.

The Test: San Francisco-New York City for two nights

United jets on the ramp at Newark Terminal C (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I tested Upside for a business trip I have to New York City in two weeks (Feb 1-3). I want to fly United to get my MileagePlus miles and premier access to economy plus seats, and I prefer to fly into Newark so I can take the train into the city and stay at a hotel near Penn Station.

On the United website, I was able to find flights departing SFO on Wednesday morning and returning Friday evening from Newark. The fare was a great deal– just $237 round trip.

For the hotel, I chose the new(ish) Best Western Premier Herald Square, where I’ve stayed many times before. Rooms are small but clean and quiet, and I love the location near the Empire State Building. Rates on BestWestern.com were equally good at about $100 per night. The total bill for two nights, including room and tax came out to $236.

So I’m looking at a total trip cost of just $473 booking on my own.

Now let’s take a look at Upside.

I was able to find the exact same United flights and Best Western hotel room. Upside’s price came in at $462.91, about the same as booking it on my own. BUT… I chose a $200 gift card from Whole Foods for booking via Upside. I’ll still earn my United Mileage Plus miles for the flight (but not PQMs). But I won’t get my Best Western Rewards points. Still, that $200 gift card makes booking this trip on Upside definitely worth it!

Another test: Atlanta to Los Angeles Feb 14-17 with a 3-night hotel stay in Hollywood.

Booking on Delta.com, we found convenient flights departing ATL in the morning, and returning from LAX in the late afternoon priced about $336 round trip. A room at the W hotel Hollywood booked on its website is $313 per night, and for three nights, to total bill including taxes is $1,120. So a total trip cost of $1,456.

Booking the same trip on Upside resulted in decent savings–plus a nice $222 gift card. However, to get the great deal, I’d have to fly on American (nonstop) and stay at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel instead of the W hotel for a total cost of $1,254.73- saving about $200.

Plus, I get a gift card good for $222. Done deal!

Take a spin through Upside and see what it can do for you… and report back your savings here!

Best/worst days, airports & airlines for Thanksgiving

November 4, 2016

Carving out some time for Thanksgiving travel this year? I’m not! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The crazy Thanksgiving peak travel week is almost upon us; it can be a great time for reuniting with family and friends back home, but it can also be a time of travel trauma when you’re actually trying to get there.

Overall, travelers, the airlines and airports seem to have gotten the Thanksgiving travel drill down in recent years. When everyone plays by the rules and the weather cooperates, everything goes pretty smoothly and there’s a collective sigh of relief and a “well that was not so bad after all” when it’s all over. Hopefully that will happen again this year.

Did you think Thanksgiving travel was crowded and hectic last year? Well, in 2016, according to the airline trade organization Airlines for America (A4A), you can expect to see 55,000 more passengers per day than you did during last year’s Thanksgiving holiday period. “Highly affordable air fare is driving that increase,” A4A said. Airlines have bumped up capacity to handle the extra loads.

U.S. airlines expect to carry an average of 2.27 million passengers a day during the Thanksgiving period, which A4A defines as the 12 days from Friday, November 18 through Tuesday, November 29. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 24. The group said it expects the busiest travel days to be – in descending order – Sunday the 27^th, Monday the 28^th, and Wednesday the 23^rd, with the lightest travel, as usual, on Thanksgiving Day itself.

But the travel search engine Skyscanner looked at its data and came to a different conclusion: It predicts the busiest day for air travel will be Saturday, November 19, “with travelers taking advantage of the short workweek to get away for a longer period of time,” said Randi Wolfson, the company’s communications chief for the Americas.

And where will it be the busiest on that day? Skyscanner predicts that passenger traffic will hit levels three times or more above average at New York LaGuardia; Washington Reagan National; and Orange County, California’s John Wayne Airport. Traffic is expected to be twice the usual level or more at both Chicago airports, all three Bay Area airports, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, New York JFK, Newark, Philadelphia, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Los Angeles International and Burbank.

Chart: Milecards.com

Another take on holiday travel trauma comes from Milecards.com, which conducted a study of airline cancellation rates over the holidays during the past six years at the nation’s 50 busiest airports.

Its main conclusion? “If you have only one holiday to choose for a flight home, make it Thanksgiving” instead of Christmas, Milecards said. Why? Because the flight cancellation rate around the late December holidays is five times greater than at Thanksgiving – 2.1 percent of all flights vs. 0.4 percent. The days when your flight is most likely to be canceled are December 26 and 27, the company said, while the best odds for avoiding a cancellation are on December 23 and 24.

With a hub at New York’s JFK, which has been hit by snowstorms during recent holidays, JetBlue takes a hit. Chart: Milecards.com

The worst holiday-period cancellation rate is at Newark Liberty International – almost three times the national average, and it’s worse around Christmas than Thanksgiving, with a cancellation rate of almost 6 percent. Airports with the lowest cancellation rates around the holidays are Honolulu, Oakland and Seattle, while the lowest rates for major connecting hubs are at Salt Lake City and Denver.

Milescards found that cancellation rates are much higher for shorter flights, such as San Francisco-Sacramento, than for longer flights such as transcons.

You can see several charts here documenting the findings of Milecards.com’s holiday flight cancellation study.

I’m staying put in San Francisco for Thanksgiving this year, with our feast just a short drive away. What about you? Will you brave the skies this year?

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Deal shopping? Go where business travelers don’t

October 19, 2016

One of Marriott's newest, largest hotels is on sale today only! Marriott Marquis Washington DC

New Marriott Marquis in D.C. offers some great deals- but only when biz traveler are not there (Photo: Marriott)

Ready to take a few days off for a fall getaway? Now’s the time to go because travel prices are hitting annual lows. If you are flexible about what day you leave, like big cities, would consider beach vacation and aren’t afraid of hurricanes, you can find a deal this season.

To find a great travel deal during peak business travel season this autumn, my advice would be to go where business travelers are not going.

Here are five places you are least likely to find business travelers and most likely to find low prices in coming months:

Weekends in major cities
Since autumn is peak season for meetings and conferences, hotels near large convention facilities tend to fill up (and raise rates) on weekdays. This means bargain hunters will most likely find good hotel rates on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at major city hotels. For example, I’m attending a Boarding Area conference over a November weekend in Washington, DC. The meeting is at the new Marriott Marquis adjacent to the district’s new convention center. I’m staying over a Friday and Saturday night and our group rate is just $139 per night. If I were to stay midweek, the rate would be around $450!

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

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

Midweek or Saturday flights
Business travelers are predictable — they like to fly to work on Sunday evening or Monday morning, and then fly home on Thursday or Friday. That means bargain hunters are likely to find the cheapest seats on days with lower demand: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. They are also more likely to find cheap fares on midday or late night flights, which business travelers tend to avoid. Fares overall are trending down this year due to cheap fuel and low-cost competition. For example, I fly frequently between Atlanta and San Francisco, and have grown accustomed to paying $400-$500 roundtrip. But now that Frontier is in that nonstop market with $238 round trip fares, Delta and United have matched that occasionally, but generally keep their lowest fares at around $310 round trip- still a very good deal.

Mountains or beaches
With business travelers focused on work instead of vacation, demand in typical holiday destinations wanes during autumn, a period known in the travel industry as “shoulder season”. With a decrease in demand, rates tank, and suppliers are more likely to toss in extras (upgrades, welcome cocktails, breakfast) to stimulate business. Best of all, the weather is usually dry and sunny during autumn- it’s also very colorful! But beware: this is also the time of year many resorts perform scheduled maintenance, which can be noisy or disconcerting, so be sure to ask about this when making your booking. For the best deals during shoulder season or other periods of waning demand, check on opaque or last-minute booking sites such as Hotwire.com where suppliers go to dump excess inventory at low rates. Another good tactic for finding specials is to scour travel supplier Twitter or Facebook feeds.

Business class during late winter holidays
Transatlantic business class fares typically run in the $5,000 to $7,000 range during peak business travel season — far beyond what most bargain hunters are willing to pay. However, business travelers tend to stay close to home and hearth during U.S. Thanksgiving and the Christmas/New Year holiday period. When demand slides, airlines put those big seats at the front of the plane on sale. For example, Lufthansa frequently rolls out a business class sale on flights between the US and Europe in late November/early December– so keep your eyes peeled (as we will). And it’s not just low fares- this is also a great time of year to look for last-minute frequent flyer mile discounts on business class seats. As the holidays draw nearer, I expect other airlines to offer similar business class deals like they did last year.

Our Fathom ship Adonia entering the harbor at Santiago de Cuba (Photo: Fathom)

Cruises
Autumn is the very best time of year to find deals on cruises for two reasons. First, kids are back in school, which means less demand from the family travel segment. Second, fearful that bad weather might ruin their well laid plans, consumers tend to avoid booking cruises when big storms hit the headlines like Hurricane Matthew did in the US this month. As a result of the decline in demand, fares tumble to rock bottom in September, October and November. For example, Royal Caribbean is offering a four-night November cruise from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas in an ocean view cabin for just $176- that’s only $44 per night! With room and board included, that might be cheaper than living at home! Best of all, fears of hurricanes ruining cruises are mostly unfound since new ships are fast enough to steer clear of any danger and the worst that can happen is that your itinerary changes.

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Fall travel season outlook & advice

October 3, 2016

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.)

Airfare: 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.

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.

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

7 reasons to take the train instead of the plane

June 14, 2016

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

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

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Decision time approaching for AAdvantage award travel

March 2, 2016

American will change some AAdvantage mileage costs for award travel in a few weeks. (Image: American)

Are you a loyal AAdvantage member who’s been saving up your miles so you can book a nice vacation for later this year? Then you might need a reminder that American’s award travel chart will be changing effective for bookings made March 22, 2016 or later.

American announced the award chart changes last fall, but many AAdvantage members might have overlooked them since the bigger part of that announcement concerned the program’s coming transformation from a mileage-based to a spending-based earning system starting later this year.

Anyway, there was some good news in the award cost overhaul – e.g., starting March 22 AAdvantage will introduce a new category for flights of under 500 miles in the U.S. and Canada, starting at 7,500 miles for a MileSAAver economy cabin ticket. And a MileSAAver award to the Caribbean in economy drops from 17,500 to 15,000 miles.

But there are some increases as well, most of them targeting the MileSAAver awards (which are subject to blackout dates and availability limitations). MileSAAver economy class awards for off-peak travel increase from 20,000 to 22,500 for Europe, and from 25,000 to 32,500 for Japan/Korea. A business class MileSAAver award to Hawaii rises from 37,500 to 40,000, while one to Europe increases from 50,000 miles to 57,500, and one to the South Pacific jumps from 62,500 to 80,000.

First class MileSAAver awards increase from 47,500 to 65,000 for Hawaii; from 62,500 to 85,000 for Europe; and from 67,500 to 110,000 for China/Hong Kong.

Award travel prices are one-way, and they are subject to taxes and “carrier-imposed fees” that “vary by itinerary and are based on trip origin and destination,” American said.

The existing award travel prices can be found here; that page also has a link to the new award levels that apply for bookings made March 22 or later.

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Mounting evidence that fares really ARE cheaper

January 26, 2016

Declining fuel costs are finally affecting ticket prices. (Image: American Airlines)

Although it may not feel like it, there’s a growing body of evidence that international air travel is actually getting less expensive, and a lot of it has to do with the plummeting price of oil.

Last month, we reported on a study from Expedia that found average international ticket prices for economy class travel were down about 8 percent worldwide during 2015. And a new report in USA Today suggests that the price decline is more like 15 percent, based on U.S. Department of Labor statistics and other metrics.

For several years, the cost of international air travel has been kept high by the airlines’ imposition of fuel surcharges that at their peak could add tens or even hundreds of dollars to the price of a ticket. Any time airlines slap on a fuel surcharge, they tend to be reluctant to remove it, no matter what happens to the price of fuel.

But these days, with oil prices dropping like a rock, they are finally reducing or eliminating those surcharges — sometimes with government mandates.

Flights across the Pacific getting cheaper, faster (Image: Chris McGinnis)

The biggest fuel surcharges tended to be on the longest routes, like those across the Pacific. And that’s where some of the biggest reductions are happening.

For example:

Last month, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways eliminated their fuel surcharges on flights originating outside Japan, and they are considering a similar step for Japan-originating service as well.

The Civil Aviation Department in Hong Kong last week issued an order to airlines there that they must get rid of fuel surcharges effective February 1, according to Reuters.

Korea’s JoongAng Daily reports that fuel surcharges will be eliminated next month for both international and domestic travel on Korean Air and Asiana.

In Taiwan, the Civil Aeronautics Administration reported that fuel surcharges on long-haul flights, already low at $26, dropped to $19.50 this month, their lowest level in 11 years.

The downward trend in air travel costs might be even stronger except for rising demand. According to the International Air Travel Association, passenger demand on international routes was up 6.8 percent for the first 11 months of 2015 compared with the same period a year earlier, while capacity rose only 6.1 percent.

Still, some airlines are extremely reluctant to see that extra revenue disappearing. The BBC noted in a recent report that in lieu of fuel surcharges, British Airways has started to collect what it calls a “carrier-imposed surcharge,” and Lufthansa has something similar termed an “international surcharge,” both intended to cover a variety of vaguely-explained costs.

What does it feel like to YOU? Are flights getting cheaper or more expensive? Please leave your comments below.

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Tracking the risks of overseas travel

December 7, 2015

Do you research the security and/or medical situation at your destination country? (Image: Jim Glab)

A new survey finds that a majority of persons who travel abroad worry about possible health and security risks, but few take the time to actually research the situation at their destination country. Now two risk-management firms have come out with a new map that might help.

According to International SOS and Control Risks, two firms that specialize in health and safety issues for corporations and their business travelers, a new Ipsos Global Advisor survey of travelers found that fully 80 percent felt their safety or health could be endangered abroad, but fewer than half that number did any research to see what the specific risks might be, or how to mitigate them.

The study found that among “senior executive travelers,” some 71 percent have had some kind of medical problem while abroad, but only 15 percent looked into the health care options available at their destination country before departure.

The survey polled more than 10,700 international travelers, about a quarter of them senior executives.

International SOS and Control Risks said that according to their analysis, nearly one-third of all international business trips are to nations that have higher medical or security risks than the traveler’s home country.

So they put together a world map showing the overall risk levels of various nations — from both a security and a medical standpoint. You can click here to open up a large interactive version of the map that you can zoom in on, and see all the country-specific ratings and explanations of terminology and risk factors.

Here’s a basic version of the new risk map; click on the above link for a larger interactive version. (Image: International SOS/Control Risks)

At the very least, you can prepare for your next international trip by checking the U.S. State Department’s list of travel alerts and warnings to see if anything of concern is going on at your destination.

Readers: What steps do you take before an international trip to assess risks and protect yourself? Post comments below.

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What’s faster: Hypersonic or supersonic?

November 26, 2015

The proposed SpaceLiner would be more than 12 times faster than Concorde. (Image: Institute of Space Systems)

Back when their airline was flying Concorde SSTs, some British Airways executives used to refer to a trip on that plane as “riding the rocket.” And indeed, when the engines really kicked in during takeoff, you could feel the G forces pressing you back into your seat. But now researchers in Germany are exploring advanced technology that could bring new meaning to “riding the rocket” — at speeds that would leave Concorde in the dust.

The Concorde only hit a top speed of about Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound. But researchers at the Institute of Space Systems in Bremen, Germany, are developing a “hypersonic” airliner that could reach speeds of Mach 25, according to CNN. Hypersonic refers to travel at more than Mach 5.

That means flying from San Francisco to Paris in less than an hour, or from the U.K. to Australia in an hour and a half.

The institute’s SpaceLiner would consist of two parts, like the U.S. Space Shuttle — a rocket booster and a passenger vehicle. The booster would lift the SpaceLiner into the mesosphere — about 50 miles up — and then would separate, leaving the passenger vehicle to proceed to its destination under the power of its own pair of rocket engines.

The unmanned booster stage would return to earth for an automated soft landing, making it reusable — unlike the Space Shuttle’s booster rockets, which fell into the sea. The passenger vehicle would carry about 50 travelers, vs. 100 for Concorde.

Like any rocket, the SpaceLiner would take off from a vertical position, although the G forces encountered by passengers would only be about 2.5 Gs, or less than you’d experience on a modern roller coaster.

Here’s the downside: The researchers say deployment of such a hypersonic rocket plane is at least 30 years in the future. And what would a business trip on the SpaceLiner cost? Like they say, “If you have to ask…”

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How to buy the best travel insurance by InsureMyTrip

July 13, 2015

A United 737 loads up at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston at sunset after the rain (Photo: Katie Haugland / Flickr)

Whether you are booking a family vacation or planning a business trip abroad, there is always a chance something could interfere with those travel plans.

That’s why news reports from New York Times’ Seth Kugel to Consumer Reports have covered the benefits of travel insurance. It has plenty going for it.

Travel Insurance can:

help if you must cancel a trip.
help pay for reasonable meals and a hotel stay if a flight gets delayed overnight.
be affordable. Most policies run 4-8 percent of total trip cost.
help cancel a trip due to bad weather or hurricanes.
help if baggage is lost, damaged or stolen.
cover emergency medical or dental care.
offer a 24/7 emergency assistance hotline to help travelers with hospital and doctor recommendations, evacuations, or assistance getting out of a country in time of crisis.
offer gap insurance for emergency medical care while traveling.

So how can you find the right travel insurance plan that is best for your trip – whether for business or leisure? While this post can’t cover everything about travel insurance, here’s a helpful step-by-step overview on how to start:

STEP 1: RESEARCH OPTIONS

Once that trip is planned, here’s what to do next:

Research travel insurance. Most start their search by researching travel insurance providers online or contacting a licensed travel insurance agent by phone or e-mail. Travel insurance comparison sites, like InsureMyTrip, are also useful for comparing policies from top providers in the industry. The comparison engine can also filter plans by type, coverage or provider.
Read reviews to gain insight. It’s easy for first time travel insurance customers to feel overwhelmed with so many plans and providers. That’s why reviews are so helpful. Read reviews written by real travelers who submitted a claim successfully or had a good experience with a provider’s customer service. If they had a good experience, hopefully you will too.

STEP 2: COMPARE TRAVEL INSURANCE

Travel insurance comes in several types. Each type comes with various benefits to provide coverage in specific travel situations (like if you must cancel a trip because of a hurricane or need medical care). Here are the two most frequently compared options:

OPTION 1: Comprehensive travel insurance — offers the most protection for travelers. It provides a variety of benefits including trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical evacuation, emergency medical coverage, 24/7 emergency assistance, and baggage protection.

Example: For a $5,000 two week vacation to Aruba, a comprehensive travel insurance plan will cost a couple in their 50s around $200. This includes a $50,000 medical limit, $250,000 for medical evacuation in addition to trip cancellation coverage and other benefits.

OPTION 2: Travel medical insurance — provides emergency medical coverage, 24/7 emergency assistance and emergency medical evacuation coverage. Trip cancellation is typically not included.

Example: For the same trip to Aruba, a travel medical insurance plan will cost a couple in their 50s around $80. This includes a $50,000 medical limit with a $250 deductible and $500,000 medical evacuation and other benefits. No trip cancellation benefits.

STEP 3: REQUEST A QUOTE, PICK PLAN

After doing some research and deciding whether a comprehensive or travel medical plan is the right choice, the next step is to request a free quote to review plan options in more detail. You might be intimidated by all of the options available, but the truth is, you shouldn’t. All it takes is ten simple steps:

Go to a reputable travel insurance comparison site like InsureMyTrip
Start the free quote form. Fill out basic trip information like, ages, home state, dates of travel, destination, trip deposit date and total trip cost
Click “find a quote” or “compare plans”
Next, plan options will appear for consideration
Click each option to review policy details
Look at the policy certificate to check all benefits and exclusions closely along with the maximum amount allotted for reimbursement
Click “buy” or “purchase” when find the right choice
Fill out the application with names and address, etc.
Next, fill out a payment form
Expect an e-mail confirmation with policy details included. You’ll want to print and save the policy certificate details and bring along plan documents and 24/7 emergency customer service number on trip. (Also, it’s a good idea to get familiar with the requirements for filing a claim)

Go on your trip!

Travel smart

Travelers can also reduce risks while traveling by learning about destination-specific medical and safety concerns. The US State Department is a helpful resource.

Need more information? Talk to a pro. Visit www.InsureMyTrip.com or contact a licensed travel insurance agent at 1-800-590-2650.

This article is sponsored by InsureMyTrip:

InsureMyTrip is an online company that compares travel insurance products from the most trusted providers in the industry.

InsureMyTrip’s powerful unbiased comparison engine and thousands of reviews enable travelers to quote and buy the right travel insurance plan. The site is supported by award winning customer service and travel insurance agents licensed in all 50 states.

Featured by Consumer Reports, and listed as a helpful website by the US Federal Consumer Information Center.

InsureMyTrip travel insurance experts are featured in national publications including Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, and Travel + Leisure.

Do you need travel insurance? Probably! Start your search for the right plan at InsureMyTrip.com!

Don’t make these mistakes in San Francisco (VIDEO)

June 22, 2015

Chris McGinnis offers San Francisco tips on CNN (Image: CNN)

Last year during the peak of the convention season in San Francisco, we wrote up Don’t make these 8 mistakes in San Francisco to help visitors avoid looking foolish when arriving in the City by the Bay.

Well, CNN producers liked that post so much that they sent out a crew from Atlanta to tape TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis offering up his best tips and advice for visitors on TV.

Check out the two-minute video here:

See the video for Chris’s advice on finding the best coffee in town, when to schedule lunch, why not much work gets done on Fridays, how to try ride sharing, and perhaps most importantly, dispelling the myth about what Mark Twain said about summer weather in San Francisco.

Take a look at the video and offer up YOUR best advice for first time visitors to Frisco San Francisco! What did we leave out?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Free airport parking? + Fastest airlines + CLEAR goes cardless + Cool gasoline price heat map + More!

Do you need travel insurance? Probably! Start your search for the right plan at InsureMyTrip.com!

My new favorite travel pants

June 3, 2015

BetaBrand dress sweat pants perfect for plane-sleeping & meeting next day

BetaBrand dress pant sweatpants perfect for sleeping on lie-flat seats the plane (BetaBrand)

When it comes to innovation, the Bay Area is not all about technology. In this case, there’s some innovation brewing in travel fashion– specifically, what we wear on planes when sleeping in those nice lie-flat business class seats.

Last week while strolling down San Francisco’s eclectic Valencia Street, I checked out the Betabrand store and immediately fell for its new dress pant sweatpants which are PERFECT for business travel.

Why?

Well, they are cut like dress pants– at first glance they appear to be a sharp pair of chinos or wool trousers. But upon closer inspection, you notice that they are made out of sweatpant fabric (“French terry”), which is soft, warm, and stretchy.

Combined, they are the perfect pair of pants for overnight travel in business class– very easy to recline or sleep in on the plane, and still look great when you arrive in Brussels or Beijing after a long overnight flight.

Check out men’s or women’s “PANTS” via this link for more details/photos and get $15 off.

I picked up a pair of the black dress pant sweatpants for $108 and love them. I also bought a pair of the gray lightweight version– much better for warmer climes as the standard version is pretty heavy. For banking types, there’s even a pinstripe version. Use my referral link when you get yours and I’ll be able to buy more, too– in addition to the dresspant sweatpants, they have several other style I’m interested in 🙂

For women, Betabrand makes several models of yoga pants that can serve the same purpose of sleeping great on the plane and looking great at a meeting the next day. Plus they have plenty of pockets in the waistband for storage of money and credit cards. ($98)

$15 off! Check them out and use our referral link for a $15 discount. When you get $15 off, so do we, so help us get some more pants to try out!

Womens traveling yoga pants from BetaBrand

What are your favorite travel clothing items? Why? Where did you get them? Please comment below.

–Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Nationwide, 3 day fare sale! + A lie-flat seat to avoid! + 10 more airports get immigration pre-clearance + Hotel chains’ Wi-Fi service ranked + Toronto Airport’s new rail link

Trip Report: A new kind of travel package

May 18, 2015

Interior of Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I’ve been to Barcelona four times. And every time I’ve walked around and peered at the sand-castle-like exterior of the unusually gorgeous Sagrada Familia cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi.

But I’ve never been inside. Why?

Because the queue to get in has always been too long, snaking around the building, full of fanny-packing, sandal-and-socks wearing, camera-toting tourists fresh off the tour bus.

Usually, by the time I got to Barcelona, finished my meetings and decided to take on the town, it was too late. Online advance bookings for the cathedral were long gone. And there was no way I was going to stand in that line.

So I missed out on seeing one of the most beautiful sights in this beautiful city.

But my latest trip to Barcelona was different.

Inside the unusual Casa Batllo on Barcelona’s famous Passeig de Gracia (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Instead of coming on my own, I came along as a guest of Monograms, a company that offers a new type of travel package for people like me who: 1) are too busy to make intricate plans and prefer to rely on the opinion of local experts, 2) are independent-minded and enjoy taking in a new city at their own pace, avoiding the tourist throngs, and 3) like to save money.

How does that work? Well, Monograms is part of the giant Globus group– you’ve likely seen the ads in the Sunday paper and the big busses and tour groups, I’m sure.

But this is not a big bus, group tour.

What Monograms does is allow you to hang around on the fringes of those big Globus tours and get all the advantages without being part of the group.

Monograms guides in Barcelona escorted us past this line to get in the Picasso Museum (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Those on Monograms tours get access to things like private tours and line-cutting privileges at popular, overcrowded attractions. This is especially valuable if going to Europe during what’s expected to be a hot, crowded summer– who wants to wait in line?

When I was there, my Monograms guide walked us in the side door of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. We breezed past the line snaking through the Barrio Gotico for a mesmerizing private tour of the Picasso Museum, and strolled right past the line at Gaudi’s famous Casa Batllo to soak up the amazing and unusual interior.

As a matter of fact, we saw all three of these popular attractions in one day– try doing that on your own.

Lobby entry at the new Marriott Autograph Collection Cotton House Hotel Barcelona (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

After that, I was free to roam around the city on my own… doing what I like to do, which is touring brand new, business class hotels.. my two favorites: The Cotton House (Marriott Autograph Collection) which just opened in February and the Mercer Barcelona (unrelated to the one in NYC) built inside the walls of 2,000 year old Roman ruins.

Monograms had a local guide with office hours in the lobby of our hotel. She helped me determine which hotels were newest (by calling her contact at the city’s convention bureau), and then helped put together a map with the most efficient walking route between each one. So instead of just wandering around aimlessly, I had a solid plan and saw exactly what I wanted to…with the help of a local expert. Plus I found out where to find some of the best tapas in town afterwards.

Speaking of hotels, Monograms offers the bulk buying power of Globus to get deeply discounted rates at 3-4 star hotels. The hotel they chose for us in Barcelona, the Catalonia Ramblas (4-stars on TripAdvisor), is centrally located, offers fast and free wi-fi, big rooms and the most amazing breakfast buffet in town– all included in the rate. Transfers to and from the airport cost an extra $35. They also negotiated a special rate for a first class seat on the high speed rail trip between Barcelona and Madrid, including hotel transfers on both ends.

Tapas: A nice was to relax and refresh after a long day of sight seeing in Barcelona (Chris McGinnis)

So you end up with the best of all worlds with this product– lower prices, exclusive access and local knowledge. Yes, you do end up rubbing elbows with the fanny packers… that can’t be avoided, but for the most part, you are truly on your own…but with a helping hand when needed.

Monograms‘ all-inclusive packages offer good value, too. For example, a four-day package in Barcelona, which includes 3 nights at the Catalonia Ramblas hotel (which I really liked), breakfast, VIP tours and access to the local host starts at $890 per person (double occupancy) or $1,200 for a single traveler. Three nights at the hotel alone booked on Expedia runs about $1200. Monograms can book air, too. Or you can take care of that on your own or with your frequent flyer miles.

Here’s Monograms’ pitch….it’s fun to watch and tells a good story about how all this works:

–Chris McGinnis

Disclosure: I was a guest of Monograms Travel on this trip

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Delta’s first class fare sale + Aircraft size and flight delays + First class summer fare sales+ Chris’s summer travel outlook + United’s plans for LAX overhaul + Hertz’s fleet renewal

6 tips for taking better iPhone pics

February 2, 2015

(Photo: Casemate)

If the iPhone is your camera of choice, you’re hardly alone. More and more travelers, especially business travelers, are leaving big, bulky cameras at home and using their iPhones instead.

Why not? Small and compact and perfectly portable, an iPhone camera can more than get the job done. Not to mention, the improved cameras on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus mean there are more functions to help you get that perfect shot. The new iPhone cameras can focus more clearly and have improved face detection and exposure control. The iPhone 6 Plus camera has two significant improvements: improved focus and optical image stabilization (the iPhone 6 only has digital image stabilization).

The next time you hit the road for a business trip, don’t just fly in and out, only seeing the inside of a taxi cab and meeting room. Make time to explore and photograph. And before you do, here are 6 tips to help you take better photos with your iPhone:

(Photo: Natalie DiScala)

1 Steady your camera
Getting a good nighttime shot is really difficult without a tripod. Just the slightest movement in your hand, which is virtually impossible to avoid, and your photo will be unfocused and ruined. I took this shot at the Hotel Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel. Let’s be honest: the key to snapping this photo was, first and foremost, the spectacular location and view from my room! But to capture the moody color of the sky and the twinkling lights adorning the Eiffel Tower, steadying the camera was essential. Fortunately, I was able to balance my iPhone on the ledge of my room’s balcony to steady the camera and get this shot. But Apple’s iSight camera offers continuous auto-focus and stabilization for both photos and videos so that your shot remains steady when your hands are shaky.

Related: 6 tips for better plane pics

(Photo: Natalie DiScala)

2 Look for beauty everywhere
While going for a stroll in Connecticut, I walked right by this pretty vignette. I doubled back and looked at it again and it was just too quaint not to photograph. Remember that some of the best photos will happen when you least expect it. But always having your iPhone in your pocket means you’ll always be prepared to capture those moments.

(Photo: Natalie DiScala)

3 Use photography apps
The iPhone camera has HDR capability and there’s photo editing software that can help tweak your photos when needed. But you can take iPhone photos one step further with photography apps like Pro HDR, which can help take an average photo from ho-hum to hot-diggity! The Pro HDR snaps two photos (one image exposed for the highlights, the other exposed for the shadows) and merges them together to create brilliant colour and clarity. This photo, taken at the Post Hotel in Lake Louise, Alberta, was the first I’d ever taken using the app. I was impressed.

Related: Crashing currencies: More travel deals for Americans

(Photo: Natalie DiScala)

4 Choose the right filter
Filters can certainly add an artistic look to your photos but choose wisely. You don’t want the filter to alter the mood of the moment so dramatically that it communicates something false. Choose a filter that enhances the photo but keeps its integrity. This photo of the Washington Monument, taken from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, does have a filter on it (the Chrome filter, found in the iPhone’s photo editing settings) but I chose something that I felt retained the feeling of that moment, standing under a bright blue sky on a very cold day.

(Photo: Natalie DiScala)

5 Play with angles
Sometimes the best shot is not the one that’s right in front of you. I often find myself walking around, looking up and looking down, trying to find the spot that will yield the best photo. Here in northern Thailand at the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort, there was so much to see that I simply had to shoot from above to include as much as possible. It all depends on the story you want to tell with your photo – and in this case, the posh pool plus the lush landscape were a perfect pair.

(Photo: Natalie DiScala)

6 Shoot in the early morning hours
With over 17 million posts using the hashtag #sunrise on Instagram, it’s clear that sunrises are popular. If you’re up early enough to snap that sunrise, then stay up and explore. The soft light of early morning is magical for photos and can provide a completely different look to the same scene shot in the afternoon or evening. Plus, with fewer people around in the wee morning hours, you’re more likely to capture your shot without interruption.

-By Natalie DiScala

New jets SFO-LAX + Europe summer deals + United move at ATL + Delta wi-fi progress + Cathay biz class sale

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Chris & Queen Latifah talk holiday travel (VIDEO)

November 6, 2013

Queen Latifah called for holiday travel advice last week and we delivered!

She flew TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis down to LA (Delta Shuttle), met him at the airport with Mercedes SUV transfers, and put him up at the Hotel Palomar in Westwood for one night.

Chris McGinnis and Queen Latifah on the Queen Latifah Show set in Los Angeles

On show day, more limo transfers to the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City for the taping of the seven-minute segment. The Queen provided my own private green room, with a small sofa, desk, snacks, bathroom. Other guests that day included Cloris Leachman and the Irish band Kodaline.

We taped the segment in front of a live audience from two first class airline seats in the middle of the set! the Queen was warm, personable and a LOT of fun (I expected no less!). Did you know that Queen Latifah’s real name is Dana Owens? That’s what everyone behind stage was calling her. (I just called her “your Majesty!)

Then a rush to LAX (thankfully the day before the incident at Terminal 3) and back to San Francisco.

What a fun day!

See part of the segment above…. or check out the show notes I sent prior to appearing on the show.

Holiday travel- Holiday travel season usually mimics the peak summer travel season, which this year was VERY busy and VERY expensive, so I expect the same for the upcoming holiday season

· Best time to buy tickets- Due to high demand, there simply are not any “deals” on the peak days around Christmas and New Years this year. This year, travelers who want the most convenient flights on their preferred airlines need to book by Nov 10 to get seats on those flights…otherwise they will likely be stuck paying the same high price for “dog flights” that depart super early or late, middle seats, or multiple stops on non-preferred airlines. My favorite sites for booking air: Kayak.com and Routehappy.com

· Alternative travel options that people don’t think about- 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% on airfare. Best sites for deadweek deals: Hotwire.com, TravelZoo. Another alternative is to consider staying over in a hotel when visiting families during the holidays– rates at new hotels in or near suburban office parks are at annual lows during holidays, and facilities are nice. Having your own space at a hotel is a big relief for both the traveler and the host during the stressy holidays.

· Best days/times for traveling- Good news about this year’s holiday season is that it is LONGER than usual with Christmas and New Years falling on Wednesdays– the full season will be over two weeks long, which means more wiggle room for travelers. (Compared to a season when Xmas and New Years both fall on say, Sunday, which makes for a much more compact season)

· Luggage issues– Do not check bags during the holidays. If you have too much for a carry on, ship ahead of time, but do so at the “ground” rate at UPS or FEDEX. Shipping overnight or two-day is too expensive.

· Rewards. It’s nearly impossible to use airline frequent flyer awards during blacked out peak holiday season, so this is the time of year to focus on using credit card rewards such as Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards which do not have blackout dates. Also, hotel programs like Best Western Rewards offer non travel awards such as gift cards to big stores like Sears or Target that are perfect gifts

· How to make holiday travel less stressful— see above– stay at a hotel instead of on the lumpy sofa bed of your relatives. Rates are dirt cheap during holiday season. Also, 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.

—Chris McGinnis

San Francisco to New York in 45 mins? Maybe

June 3, 2013

Since Elon Musk (the mind behind Tesla Motors and SpaceX) quipped about a new “hyperloop” high speed transportation system last week, futurists and techies have been abuzz about a new mode of transportation that could eclipse air travel one day—cutting travel time between San Francisco and New York to just 45 minutes, or between New York and Beijing to just two hours.

One company called ET3 is apparently working on a plan for “Evacuated Tube Transport” which is loosely based on pneumatic systems once used in banks, offices or hospitals (for those old enough to remember) to transport documents within buildings using capsules inserted into suction tubes.

Six person capsules include luggage bays (ET3/YouTube)

ET3 says that its tubular network could transport 6-passenger, automobile-sized capsules up to 4,000 mph in a frictionless environment inside tubes using magnetic levitation. The company claims that ET3 can be built for a tenth of the cost of high speed rail, or a quarter of the cost of a freeway, and provide 50x more transportation per kilowatt than electric cars or trains. Tubes could be built along US interstates, could travel across Alaska to reach China or even go underwater.

Travel by tube? (ET3)

Is this the answer to carbon spewing aircraft…or how we’ll be traveling when we run out of fossil fuels? Who knows? But it’s certainly an interesting thought and likely something we’ll be hearing more about.

While Musk was short on details, he has described the technology as “a cross between a Concorde, a railgun and an air hockey table.” He hinted that he might have more to say about it later this month.

How would you feel about a 45 minute hop to NYC for lunch? Should we be building a hyperloop instead of a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and LA?

We’ve got a lot of catching up to do! Stay tuned for a “Catching up with Bay Area Travel News” issue later this week, which will include United’s new boarding procedures at SFO, Virgin’s new fast lane, the newest United Club, slow progress on new PS flights to NYC and much more!

—Chris McGinnis

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Big Delta downgrade starts Tuesday

April 22, 2013

As Delta continues to hack away to frequent flyer benefits, another precious perk is getting an unwelcome makeover this week. Starting Tuesday, April 23, changes to Delta’s same day change policies go into effect.

Here’s what you need to know:

>You can now request a same-day flight change at any time prior to your flight’s departure. Previously, you had to wait until three hours before to request the change.

>However, the fare class of your original ticket must be available on the flight you want to switch to. Since most of us fly on discounted fares that are not available at the last minute, this is where the new policy gets ugly.

>Gold Medallions (and higher) can switch to flights within a three-hour window before or after the original flight for free, but only if the same fare class is available. If same fare class is not available on the new flight, they can take their chances and standby for free. If this new flight falls outside the three-hour window, they must now pay a $50 fee to reserve a seat on the desired flight.

>Long suffering Silvers and non-Medallions still have to pay the same-day-change $50 fee plus any other fees based on fare restrictions (which can be hefty). But now they can pay a $50 same day standby fee for an earlier flight. The fee is not charged until they clear the standby list and are seated on the plane.

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Photo: Neil Moralee

>All passengers, regardless of Medallion status must make any changes before the original flight or they lose the entire value of the ticket—no refunds or credits.

>Same day standby passengers are not eligible for upgrades. However, the same day confirmed option is eligible for upgrades. Diamond, Platinum, and Gold Medallion members can be placed on the upgrade list if they are confirmed on the flight. However, standbys will not clear until the upgrades have been processed.

Delta spokesperson Paul Skrbec summed the changes for TICKET readers like this: “To boil it down in the simplest terms, the same-day confirmed program is for when the original fare class purchased is available on the day of travel and therefore can be confirmed. The same-day standby option is for when the original fare is not available, but still offers customers an option to make last minute changes based on overall seat availability on the day of travel.” Skrbec suggested readers refer to Delta’s webpage devoted to this thorny issue.

Delta is, as usual, spinning this as an enhancement of benefits:

We understand that travel plans can change last minute. And we want to accommodate those changes the best we can. That’s why our same-day travel change service offers options when you need to make a change to your flight.

This change is especially frustrating for business travelers, Delta’s bread and butter, whose schedules change frequently, especially at the last minute.

Confused by all this? Is there anyone who sees the positive in this? What do you think? Please leave your comments below.

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A special charter to London for Bay Area techies

March 21, 2013

A screenshot from BA’s UnGrounded campaign.

When airlines hold press conferences, they usually want to show off how passengers can get a good night’s rest in a business class seat that converts to cozy flat bed. Or they will announce their latest celebrity chef-inspired meals or big seat back video screens to keep travelers entertained on long haul flights.

That was definitely not the case at a British Airways presser in downtown San Francisco last night.

In a total about face, BA’s press conference was all about how they are going to ask 100 big shot Bay Area and Silicon Valley innovators to work during an 11-hour, chartered Boeing 747 flight from SFO to London.

And as soon as they arrive, they’ll have to present their findings to a like-minded group of global thought leaders.

Huh?

BA called the presser at to announce UnGrounded a new “innovation lab in the sky” that is designed to get Silicon Valley thought leaders, entrepreneurs, VCs and academics together in the confines of a jumbo jet to help solve global problems.

UnGrounded is the evolution of a business networking concept BA launched during the dark days of 2009 called Face-to-Face, which brought together hundreds of entrepreneurs hoping to expand their businesses overseas on free networking flights to London. (See TravelSkills report about BA’s Face-to-Face flights here Below is a video shot during that 2009 flight).

“Great innovation only happens face-to-face and our airline facilitates that,” said BA’s EVP, Simon Talling-Smith.

The first UnGrounded flight will depart SFO on June 12. The 100 industry leaders onboard will be tasked with coming up with a platform to help match tech talent with tech opportunities around the world.

“The talent crunch is a real issue for companies in major tech hubs around the world. We need to give more people the opportunity to discover and be discovered,” said Amir Dossal, a special representative from the UN on hand at the event. He said the gap between tech talent and tech opportunity is widest in the “STEM” fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

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To come up with an innovative way to solve that problem, 100 thought leaders will be holed up on a big 747 that can hold up to 345 passengers. BA has hired Palo Alto’s well-known design firm IDEO to help orchestrate this very special flight—and get the job done.

To help them find and invite those 100 bright minds, BA tapped into the networks of several Bay Area big shots such as Leor Stern of Google, Gerald Brady of the Silicon Valley Bank, Celestine Johnson of Innovation Endeavors, Marguerite Gong Hancock of Stanford, Rhonda Abrams of The Planning Shop, Duncan Logan of RocketSpace, and Todd Lutwak at Andreesen Horowitz. BA has also partnered with the UN and the Decide Now Act (DNA) Summit in London.

I asked if there was any way my readers could apply to be one of the chosen few for this flight. The response was sort of a “don’t call us, we’ll call you.” The special 100 will be “hand selected and curated” by the UnGrounded Advisory Board. Or you could try explaining why you’d be perfect for this flight by sending an email to: ba.ungrounded@ba.com

Interested? Here’s more.

—Chris McGinnis

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Spring travel could be pricey & dicey

February 21, 2013

Combine a long, cold winter, spiking gasoline prices, and an improving economy. Then fold in a very early Easter and you have the recipe for what could be a very crowded and expensive spring travel season. To avoid the highest prices and the possibility of sold out flights, hotels or rental cars, those planning March trips should make reservations as soon as possible– especially if headed to popular spring break destinations from the Bay Area such as Southern California, Arizona, Mexico, Hawaii, and Rocky Mountain ski resorts.

This year, the peak spring travel season will be compact–only about three weeks– beginning on Friday, March 8 and lasting until Monday April 1. Already, advance bookings for March at Best Western’s 2000+ hotels in the US are up 8.9% compared to this time last year.

Due to an unusually early Easter (Sunday, March 31), March is going to be a month when college students, families and business travelers converge on the nation’s airports, highways and hotels. Collegiate spring break will peak in mid-to-late-March during mid-semester break. Family spring break will peak during the last week of March when most elementary and high schools close prior to Easter weekend.

To avoid the biggest crowds at airports, try to avoid traveling on weekends during the peak collegiate spring break period–from roughly March 8 through April 1. If you are flying on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays during March, you’ll find airports in or near college campuses and warm weather destinations packed with vacationing students, creating longer lines at airport security. Also, beware of crowding and possible delays on highways and skyways on the days leading up to and shortly after Easter Sunday, March 31.

In addition, St Patrick’s Day falls smack in the middle of spring break on Sunday, March 17 this year. Travelers should expect extreme vigilance on the part of police and highway patrol when it comes to drinking and driving.

Peak spring break travel season should end on about Tuesday, April 2. From April 3 through May 23 there will be an earlier-than-normal “shoulder season”–of the best times of year to save money and avoid crowds–and one of the smartest times time to schedule business trips. During shoulder season, demand for travel (and prices) drops significantly from the highs you’ll see during the spring and summer peaks. (The summer travel season kicks off on Memorial Day–May 27– weekend.)

TIP: If you are a business traveler staying over in a resort or beachside area, ask for a quiet room away from the pool or other public areas, which may attract a rowdy spring break crowd.

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Airfares:
Since January 1, airlines attempted three across-the-board fare hikes. The first two failed. The jury is still out on whether or not the third one will stick. But don’t think that this means prices will not rise. Over the last several years, airlines have reduced the number of seats flying. At the same time, improvements in the economic outlook and consumer confidence are translating into more demand for air travel— and when you have high demand and limited supply, prices rise. Therefore, spring travelers should budget for higher airfares (up 5-10% compared to last year), and more fees.

TIP: To get the lowest fares, try to plan trips during non-peak times, such as April or May known as the “shoulder season.” Also, travelers who can travel mid-week–on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays are also more likely to find lower fares.

Hotels:
While demand for hotels is increasing, average rates have only crept up about 5% compared to this time last year. This should be a relief for travelers who are finding that they are spending more than they’d like to at the gas pump or when buying airline tickets.

Over the last two years, hotel rates have jumped the most in large coastal cities in the US such as Boston, New York, Washington DC, San Francisco and Seattle. Rates in smaller, interior US cities remain about the same as this time last year.

Nonetheless, with the compact nature of this spring’s peak month of March, expect higher rates than normal, especially in popular warm-weather regions

Last Minute Deals:
Waiting around for last minute deals or flash sales rarely results in significant discounts during peak travel periods such as spring break.

Those who have their heart set on a specific destination in March should make reservations early in order to get the best deals. Waiting around for last minute deals is only advisable if you really don’t care where you go…you just want to get away.

On the other hand, waiting for a last minute deal makes much more sense if you plan to travel during periods of lighter demand, such as April or May, when travel providers are more likely to unload their excess inventory at big discount.

–Chris McGinnis

This item appeared first on Best Western’s youmustbetrippin.com blog for which I write.

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Top 10 happiest cities in the world

January 31, 2013

How often do you get to take a happy trip to one of the top 10 happiest cities in the world? The infographic below is based on a perception survey by GFK Custom Research, as well as factors like number of outdoor attractions, shopping centers, and cultural locations.

Lucky for BATs…we live in the ONLY city in the US to make this list. Why leave? 😉

Which city do you feel should have made this list, but didn’t? Leave your comments below.

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AirTran 3-day sale kicks off fall travel season

September 4, 2012

AirTran and Southwest launched a 3-day fall fare sale– must book by Thursday! (Photo: AirTran)

Election-year uncertainty and a weak US economy combined with higher gasoline prices, airfare and hotel rates have not deterred American travelers this summer, and healthy demand should carry on into the fall months.

Even though summer does not officially end until September 21, the fall travel season starts this week and extends through mid-November when demand begins to rise in anticipation of a relatively early Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 22).

Business travel “season” also starts this week as executives head back out on the road after summer breaks to visit clients they missed over the summer, or to attend meetings and conventions, which peak during the fall months. While there will likely be fewer visitors from economically embattled Europe, healthy demand in the US and Canada, as well as an influx of visitors from Asia are helping to counterbalance that decline.

Best Western is not a publicly held company, so it’s the only major hotel player (2,000 hotels in US) that releases valuable forward-looking data. Looking ahead, its advance bookings in the US and Canada for September, October and November are up 10% compared to this time last year. Advance bookings at airport hotels in North America, where guests tend to be predominately business travelers, are up 18%. Similarly, advance bookings at hotels located in intown areas are up 13%.

Here’s my outlook for the fall months:

Airfare: As the price of a barrel of oil approaches $100 again, airlines are feeling the impact of rising fuel costs, and in August they raised fares across the board for the fifth time this year. However, during fall months, travel demand declines compared to peak summer travel season, so travelers can expect some relief from high fares in coming months. However, the days of broad across-the-board fares sales are long gone—so smart bargain-focused travelers need to keep their eyes peeled for sales of very short duration between specific markets instead. For example, AirTran and Southwest launched a three-day fare sale this week good for trips up until October 3 only– fares are quite good, i.e., $200 between ATL and Chicago-Midway’ $254 to Denver, many Florida and Southeastern cities for about $180. Delta has matched nearly all these fares.

In the second half of 2012, airlines will offer seven million fewer seats, and nearly 3% fewer departures than in 2011, according to The Boyd Group. These reductions in airline capacity (down some 11% since 2005), combined with steady demand on the part of consumers, means that airfares during peak holiday travel seasons (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) should remain painfully high.

Advance bookings for fall are up 10% at Best Western hotels like this one near San Francsico Int’l (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

But as always, heavily discounted shoulder season fares in early November, early December or early January should be available for those with the flexibility to take advantage of them. Tip: If possible, schedule business trips to coincide with these dips in demand.

Hotel Prices: Due to steady demand, hotel prices are rising, but the increases are uneven across the US. For example, travelers can expect to see significantly higher rates in large coastal cities such as New York, Boston, Washington, San Francisco or Seattle—especially during the fall months when meeting and conventions peak. However, rates in smaller, interior cities have remained mostly flat, or even declined in some cases. This variation means that average rates should increase less than 5% this fall. Tip: During fall months, travel suppliers reach out to business travelers with special deals and bonuses tied to their loyalty programs—keep an eye on blogs like The TICKET and program websites for the deals.

Gasoline Prices: The recent spike in gasoline prices is having minimal impact on travel plans in the US. In early June, the average price of a gallon of gasoline was $3.52. It then dipped to a low of about $3.30 in early July. By the end of August, it had increased rather dramatically to $3.72 according to the US Energy Administration. However, the price jump at the pump did little to keep Americans off the road for Labor Day—according to AAA, travel volume over the long holiday weekend was 3% higher than last year—up to the highest level since the recession began in late 2007. As demand for gasoline declines during Autumn, prices will hopefully decline, too.

Rental Car Prices: Rental car prices have remained mostly flat in recent years, but that could begin to change. This is due to consolidation in the industry, with only three major players left—Avis/Budget, Hertz (which purchased Dollar/Thrifty in August for $2.3 billion) and Enterprise (which now owns Alamo and National brands). Additionally, with airlines cutting service to smaller towns, demand for rental cars will increase as business travelers fly to the nearest airport, and then rent cars to drive to their appointments in smaller towns.

What about YOU? Are you planning to travel more, less or about the same amount this fall compared to last fall? Please leave your comments below.

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Online travel experiences (infographic)

August 22, 2012

✈ Summer airline & airport news

August 15, 2012

Hello TICKET readers! We hope you are having a great summer. We’ve been busy working on new endeavors. The best way for you to keep up with what we are reading and seeing this summer is via Facebook and Twitter. If you are not already following us on these outlets, please sign on today!

Here’s a brief chronicle and links to some of the most important travel news for TICKET readers over the last couple months:

Delta flight attendant Katherine Lee, aka “Deltalina”

NO MORE DELTALINA? If you are a fan of Delta’s popular 2008 safety video and the lovely Deltalina finger wag, get ready for a surprise. Rumor has it that later this year Delta will be unveiling a new safety video featuring a different cast of crew members– with a possible cameo appearance by flight attendant Katherine Lee, a.k.a Deltalina. The new video is reportedly going to be light hearted and funny to attract the attention of those who don’t think it’s important to watch. Delta has neither confirmed nor denied the rumor of a a new safety video. Have you ever had Deltalina as your flight attendant? How do you feel about Delta possibly changing its pre-flight safety video?

NO MORE COMAIR. Delta has finally pulled the plug on long-ailing Comair– a move that continues the shrinkage of Delta’s once large hub operation at Cincinnati. Comair was founded in 1977. Delta purchased Comair for almost $2 billion in 2000.

ECONOMY COMFORT. Delta has made it easier for corporate travelers to book economy comfort seats via their travel agencies by making them available through the Amadeus GDS. Prior to this, travelers only had access to the roomier coach seats via Delta.com

TRIPLE MILES. You’ll earn triple Delta SkyMiles at Marriott brands beginning with your second stay from July 1-October 31. Details here.

DISADVANTAGED MULTI-MILLIONAIRES? Several of Atlanta’s politically connected elite with lucrative airport concessionaire contracts (including Maynard Jackson’s heirs) may not deserve “disadvantaged” designation…and some have never even visited the stores that they “own.” According to this investigative story by the AJC, there’s a standoff between the FAA and GDOT over the recent reshuffling of airport contracts.

DELTA DOES DALLAS. With Southwest Airlines in its crosshairs, starting Sept 5, Delta will launch 5x daily roundtrips between ATL and close-in Dallas Love Field using 50 seat CRJs. Delta is able to get around the Wright Amendment by using aircraft with fewer than 56 seats. Since Southwest only flies much larger 737’s, it can’t offer ATL-DAL flights until the Wright Amendment expires in 2014. Would you fly to Dallas Love? Or will you stick with the more familiar DFW? Leave your comments below!

Southwest Airlines California state flag themed 737 at SFO (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

ATL-SFO&LAX. Southwest Airlines begins offering a two daily nonstops between ATL and San Francisco on September 30. Outbound flights depart ATL at 11 am and 6 pm. Return flights depart SFO at 7:40 am and 3:00pm. AirTran will continue with its two daily, two-class roundtrips through at least early March 2013. Similarly, both Southwest and AirTran now fly nonstop between ATL and Los Angeles LAX. Eventually, as AirTran phases out, your only nonstop, non-Delta option on these 4-5 hour flights to the west coast will be on Southwest. AirTran has already turned over the long ATL-Seattle run to Southwest only. It’s on these transcons that the absence of AirTran’s business class is going to be felt most!

PRIORITY CLUB 24-HR SALE. From noon Aug 15 until noon Aug 16, you can book Holiday Inn Resorts using Priority Club points for half price. Only good for trips September 4 thru November 2– but not a bad deal at all if you have the points and the time off.

PRE-CHECK GROWTH. We are hearing that PreCheck lanes at ATL security are frequently longer than other, supposedly less exclusive lines. Agree or disagree? PreCheck expanding fast, and is now available for Delta flyers at Charlotte, Chicago ORD Terminal 2, Detroit Checkpoint 2, Indianapolis Checkpoint A, New York La Guardia Terminal D, Las Vegas D gates, Boston-Logan Terminal A, LAX Terminal 5, Minneapolis Checkpoint 4, Orlando East Checkpoint, Portland PDX, Washington-Reagan South Pier, Salt Lake City Terminal 2, Seattle Checkpoint 5 and Tampa Terminal E.

LOSS OF SERVICE. This month AirTran ends nonstop service between ATL and Sarasota. It’s also dumping its popular nonstops between ATL and New York’s Westchester County airport. On September 1, Delta will stop flying between ATL and New York’s Stewart Airport, located about an hour north of NYC. Delta has axed CRJ nonstops between ATL and Meridian, MS, to be replaced by Silver Airways, which uses Saab turboprops.

TATTY SKY CLUBS? From TICKET reader GN: “We just spent 2 hours in the renovated Philadelphia Sky Club. While it is a vast improvement over the old Crown Room location, I was very disappointed to discover that the ‘new’ furniture is already worn out and broken. The designer made some furniture selections that do not hold up to the wear and tear this space receives. It’s a shame because it detracts from an otherwise very nice space.”

Gorgeous circles at Turkish Airlines lounge in Istanbul. (Photo: Turkish Airlines)

BEAUTIFUL LOUNGES. Check out my latest Executive Travel Magazine slideshow on the World’s most Beautiful Airline Lounges! (NOTE: Look for the purple “Launch Slideshow” box to the left of the copy.) Do you agree with my choices?

DELTA WI-FI OVERWATER. Delta announced that starting in early 2013 it will begin installation of new satellite-based inflight Wi-Fi from Gogo on 150 long-haul internationally configured Boeing 777, 767, 747, Airbus 330 and transoceanic Boeing 757 aircraft. Currently, the Gogo system only works via a land-based network of antennae in North America.

SORRY, SILVERS! The Wall Street Journal ran an interesting story on the plight of silver elite level members of Delta and United. It points out that the pool of elite level flyers has swollen in recent years, primarily due to mergers and exaggerated credit card mileage bonuses. At The TICKET, we covered this sad state of affairs in 2010 and that post remains the #1, most read and commented-on post of all time.

DELTA PENTHOUSE. Take a look at Delta’s new business class configuration upstairs in its 747s.

BETTER FLYING ON BIG DELTA JETS. The recent announcement of Southwest/Air Tran’s 717 fleet moving to Delta is good news for those who hate the small 50-seat jets operated by Delta Connection. These new planes are part of a plan to phase out the smaller jets (which have poor efficiency in the current high fuel environment) while maintaining similar capacity in the marketplace. The new 717s, not expected to come online for at least a year, will be outfitted with 12 first class seats, 15 Economy Comfort seats, and 83 economy class seats, all of which will have access to Gogo wi-fi.

NEW NEW YORK FLIGHTS. Delta will launch a series of new nonstop flights from New York LaGuardia and JFK to feed into its growing New York hub. A new daily LaGuardia to Bermuda flight will operate aboard a Boeing 737-800 beginning in April 2013. Nonstop service to Nassau will switch from weekly to daily from LaGuardia beginning in December. From JFK, new daily service to Montego Bay, Aruba, and Punta Cana will please sun seekers who want to get away from the cold. These new daily flights begin in December just in time for the holidays. Floridian-bound travelers will also have expanded service from LaGuardia with double dailies to Sarasota/Bradenton and additional frequencies to Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Ft. Myers. The latter also will gain a new daily nonstop to JFK.

DON’T CRY FOR ME. In anticipation of Aerolineas Argentinas’ entry into SkyTeam, the agreement has now been inked to allow earning and redeeming of SkyMiles on the Argentine national carrier’s flights. The airline should formally join SkyTeam later this year.

Aeromexico jets lined up at Benito Juarez Int’l in Mexico City (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

HOLA MEXICO. In addition to Delta nonstops, SkyTeam partner Aeromexico now has nonstops between Atlanta and Mexico City. Daily flights using an Embraer 190 depart Atlanta at 2:40 p.m. and arrive at Mexico City at 5:25 p.m.; flights depart Mexico City at 9:05 a.m. and arrive at Atlanta at 1:40 p.m. If you are headed to Mexico City soon, be sure to see my latest BBC Travel story Business Trip: Mexico City for the latest and greatest tips and info.

DESERT-BOUND? Saudia Airlines has officially joined SkyTeam opening dozens of new destinations throughout the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent that were previously unreachable with partners. These include cities in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. While they may not be at the top of your vacation plans, many are important business destinations and this strengthens SkyTeam’s global position since most airlines in the Middle East are not part of a larger alliance as of yet.

Long waits for cabs at ATL turning away convention biz.

EMBARRASSING CAB QUEUES AT ATL. From TICKET reader BB: “Only in Atlanta. Did you know that to use a credit card in a taxi at ATL, you first have to stand in one line, and have a clerk run your credit card to get an authorization. She then hands you a paper slip with the authorization and only then can you stand in another line for cabs. Whaaaa?? No where else in the world…… Just ridiculous! This was actually mentioned in a feedback forum for the conference I was attending as another reason it won’t be held in Atlanta again.”

BUH-BYE PARTNERS. Indian carriers Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines will discontinue their partnership with SkyMiles Oct. 1. Until then, travelers can earn and redeem miles on both carriers on applicable fares. This is a great value as both airlines offer excellent networks within the region although Kingfisher has been undergoing severe financial problems as of late.

HOW TO USE TERMINAL F. (Thanks to TICKET reader Richard Higgins for the following advice)

>To get to new international terminal F, drive down I-75, NOT the old route via I-85. The MARTA does not go all the way to the new terminal. There is a shuttle bus between (old) domestic terminal and new terminal F, but allow an extra half-hour if you choose this option.
>International departures may go out either from F or E, but all departing international passengers are processed at the new terminal F.
>Arrivals: International flights may arrive at either F or E, but you and your baggage will be processed through F, so arrange ground transport at F.
>Baggage from all international flights to Atlanta will be picked up at F.
IMPORTANT EXCEPTIONS:
>If your departing international flight has a USA stop before going international, ignore these instructions and go to domestic terminal as before.
>If your arriving international flight has a USA stop before arriving in Atlanta, ignore these new instructions; you will arrive at domestic terminal as before.

Speaking of Terminal F, check out what the AJC has to report on that LOOOONG walk between Terminal E and Terminal F reported by TICKET readers earlier this summer.

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London hotel rates crash, flights half full…

July 24, 2012

London’s St Pancras International station… where Eurostar trains depart for Brussels and Paris. Will it fill to the gills? See below for my outlook…. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Yesterday I received an interesting missive about London from the folks at Hotwire— the giant SF-based “opaque” booking site– you know, the kind of site that won’t reveal the name of the provider until you pay. It’s also the kind of site hoteliers flock to when they are desperate to unload unsold inventory at big last-minute discounts.

This is one of many signals we are getting that the Olympics in London might be a big bust for local travel suppliers hoping to cash in big. Your humble BAT editor was working and living in Atlanta during the 1996 Summer Olympics and saw the same phenomenon– hotels raised rates to the sky, local residents renovated homes in the hopes of renting them out to the crush of visitors. Warehouses were converted into huge entertainment venues for visitors.

Then the Olympics came… but the swath of visitors did not. They were scared away by all the warnings ahead of time. Traffic in the city was non-existent. Locals telecommuted or used public transport as instructed. Many left town altogether. Visitors attended events, then returned to their hotels… to sleep, not party all night. Except for the Olympic venues, Atlanta was a ghost town during the ’96 Games.

I wonder if the same thing will happen in London? Based on what I’m hearing, it’s possible. First it was the unprecedented, nearly too-good-to-be-true fare sale offering SFO-London round trips for just $2008 in business class. My United flight to London in early August is half full according to the United web site– there are still 25 out of 49 business class seats available. Coach is less than 75% full. Just five out of 12 first class seats are taken. This is PEAK summer travel season, folks!

Now this… from Hotwire:

Hotels across London are offering discounts of up to 50% during the Summer Games. Many have overestimated demand, put their prices too high and are now left with unsold rooms just a few days before the Games are to begin.
These hotels are now offering up to 50% off on discount travel websites like Hotwire.com. Three star and above London hotels are available for under $154 due to lower-than-anticipated demand. Data from discount travel website Hotwire.com show hotel prices through the first half of the games are actually lower than earlier this year.
While many London hotels anticipated a flurry of business from the games, the reality is that the economy is soft, business and leisure travelers who aren’t traveling for the Games are avoiding the city, and even an event as big as the Games couldn’t fill all the rooms in London.
These factors have led hoteliers to turn to secret hotel website Hotwire.com as a safe place where they can discount last minute and fill rooms without tarnishing their brands, and they’ve created some surprising deals for travelers looking for a last minute trip.
Some of the best available hotel rates in Central London are:
   5-star hotel in Mayfair for $154 for the week of July 23, 2012
   4-star hotel in Westminster has $140 rates through the games and into September
   3 or 4-star hotels in Notting Hill-Bayswater for $70 in late July
   3 or 4-star hotels in London Docklands have rates ranging from $59-116 during mid to late July and August
3-star hotels in Kensington-Earls Court for $120 in late July

EXTRA: Virgin America is offering a significant 20% discount for flights between August 28 and November 14. Note that this is an unpublished “private sale” (associated with guitar maker Fender) and requires you to sign up in order to receive the discount. Even better: It applies to one or two folks traveling together. To get the deal, you must book your trip by July 31. Sign up here.

20% off means that $400 round trip to New York in October will only cost you $320. So there. TravelSkills just saved you 80 bucks (or $160 if you plan to travel with a special someone)! What to thank us? Then TELL YOUR FRIENDS about TravelSkills— tell them to subscribe just like you did!

What do you think will happen in London? Will it be a teaming kluster or a quaint and efficient European capital during the Games? Are you going? What do you expect? Please leave your comments below.

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How to use your phone overseas- and not spend a fortune

January 17, 2012

Did you get a shiny new iPhone or smart phone for Christmas? Are you worried that it might cost you a fortune if you dare to turn it on overseas? In this guest post, longtime TICKET reader Jim Braude offers some excellent tips for staying connected when overseas– whether you use an iPhone or an Android device. Braude divides his time between Atlanta and Paris managing a delightful collection of guest apartments in both cities that he rents to travelers.

Learn From My Mistakes!

The first time I came here [to France] with my iPhone I didn’t pay attention to details or warnings, resulting in an $1800.00 bill after just two weeks. Now I’ve learned the tricks and happy to share them with you. — Jim Braude, ourhomeinparis.com

1 – Use the wi-fi! Most hotels and all of our apartments have unlimited wi-fi use. Of course, it makes sense to do as much data transfer as possible using the wi-fi network, as it’s the 3G that nails you if you go over your limit (see next point). More coffee houses are adding wi-fi too as a free perk, but be careful if non secured.

2 – AT&T has three features that greatly reduce the bill:

>Global messaging – 200 international text messages for 30.00

>International roaming – data – 125MB for $49.99 – this is greatly reduced recently. If you use it with ONAVO (see below) it’s more than enough for a once-an-hour check of emails for a full month.

>International roaming – voice – $5.99. Cheaper long distance to the US. But I use SKYPE when on wi-fi instead, which is even cheaper.

3 – SKYPE – nothing beats Skype to Skype video calls, free and with the newer Macs you get really clear sound and picture.

4 – ONAVO is a free app for iPhone that compresses data and greatly reduces the amount of data transmission– it literally halves your incoming data bill.

5 – PHONE TAG – for $9.99/month. I forward my incoming voice calls to my phonetag number, it then computer-generates a voice to email message, and sends me an email. This also makes it unnecessary to check voice mail which I prefer. It’s not perfect– occasionally the computer will make some odd choices in its translation from voice to text– but it includes an attachment of the actual voice message that you can listen to if needed as a back up.

6- CHANGE SETTINGS. Change how often your phone checks for email from every fifteen minutes to every hour during the day and change to MANUAL setting at night unless you have wi-fi setting and wi-fi remains on 24/7.

7- WHATSAPP – an almost free app (99 cents) for international texting, works great [across iPhone, Android and Nokia platforms].

8 – GET AN APARTMENT – when a homeowner gets cable service in France, it costs only 5 euros more per month for the owner to add unlimited free calling to the US or Canada from a fixed line. Warning: some carriers do NOT allow free calls to mobile phones–only to fixed lines– so confirm that first. And confirm whether the country you are calling is on the free list. When you install cable (and wi-fi and phone) in your apartment, calls to the US and Canada are almost always free, from both both fixed line and mobile.

9 – PICKPOCKETS – the number one most stolen item in France is the iPhone. DO NOT leave it on a table top at a cafe. A young man covered mine with a newspaper as he asked me a question and took my iphone away in seconds, but I caught him in the act. Avoid using on the subway as you are alerting those around you that you are a prime target. Never leave your iphone in backpack or purse that is behind you rather in front of you.

Do you have any other money-saving or hassle-reducing tips on using your mobile phone overseas? If so, please leave your advice in the comments box below!

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