Welcome to the June 2007 issue of Travology™ Today

Directravel has announced Jim Hayes has joined as Executive Vice President of Vendor Negotiations.

Hayes will be responsible for exploring additional opportunities with Directravel’s current vendors as well as developing new partnerships with airlines, car rental companies and hotels.

“Jim has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the travel industry and I am confident that he will find new ways for us to offer value-added services and saving opportunities to our clients moving forward, ” said Pat Fragale, president of Directravel.

Hayes brings more than 30 years of experience in business development, contract negotiations and sales management to his position. Prior to joining Directravel, Hayes has held various leadership positions within the industry, including General Manager, Agency Sales for Delta Air Lines in New York City and was the past president of the Airline Sales Manager Association of New York.

He can be reached at the Mahwah, NJ corporate offices at 201-847-2106 or jhayes@dt.com.

Directravel will be participating in this year’s NBTA Conference and Exposition in Boston, July 23-25. If you are attending and would like to stop by to say hello, we will be at booth 2026. For those wishing to schedule some time to speak with us, please call 1-800-air-travel, x12155, and we will make those arrangements. We look forward to seeing you at the show.

Travel suppliers have been focusing more efforts on understanding the consequences of carbon emissions on the environment and offering programs to help offset these effects.

Air Transportation Association (ATA) President and CEO James C. May testified before the House of Representatives Committee of Transportation and Infrastructure that airlines are extremely carbon efficient, noting that while U.S. commercial aviation contributes about 2 percent of domestic greenhouse gas emissions, it also drives $3.4 billion in U.S. economic activity every day. Furthermore, May added, airlines continue to strive to improve fuel efficiency through aggressive fuel conservation programs. These programs are yielding dramatic results; the industry has improved fuel efficiency by 35 percent since 2001.

“U.S. airlines have made enormous strides in increasing fuel efficiency and reducing emissions – unrelenting carbon-efficient improvement is business as usual for commercial airlines,” said May. “Commercial airlines are extremely carbon efficient. We are the greenest form of mass transportation.”

Sustainable Travel International and Continental Airlines announced plans to offer customers the option to participate in a carbon offsetting program. The voluntary program will allow travelers to calculate the carbon footprint of their booked itinerary and purchase carbon offsets online from non-profit Sustainable Travel International.

Proceeds from purchased offsets are invested by Sustainable Travel International into high-impact sustainable development projects, including reforestation, renewable energy and energy conservation. These projects, which also benefit local communities, are located all over the world. Customers will have the option of selecting which kind of program they would like their carbon offsets to benefit.

Delta Air Lines announced expanded “green efforts” with this month’s launch of its carbon offset program and expanded onboard recycling. Customers can now contribute toward the offset of carbon emissions associated with air travel through a donation to The Conservation Fund, a leading environmental nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting land and water resources.

Delta also launched a comprehensive on-board recycling program that expands beyond traditional aluminum can recycling to include all aluminum, plastic and paper products on domestic flights into Atlanta. The program includes recycling newspapers, snack containers, soda cans and water bottles. Proceeds from Delta’s expanded recycling program will continue to benefit Habitat for Humanity.

While we cannot deny that carbon offsetting is good for the environment, there are those who caution that the results of these programs are sometimes long term, like reforestation, and are not government regulated, so there is not true standard by which to compare the effectiveness of each of the partner programs.

For more information from the ATA, click here.
For more information on the Continental Program, click here.
For more information on the Delta program, click here.
For more information on evaluating offset vendors, click here.

The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security announced today that U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports can nevertheless temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007. The federal government is making this accommodation for air travel due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) was mandated by Congress in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for citizens and legitimate international visitors. WHTI requirements for air travel took effect on January 23, 2007.

Adults who have applied for but not yet received a passport should present government-issued photo identification and an official proof of application from the U.S. Department of State. Children under the age of 16 traveling with their parents or legal guardian will be permitted to travel with the child's proof of application. Travelers who have not applied for a passport should not expect to be accommodated. U.S. citizens with pending passport applications can obtain proof of application at: http://travel.state.gov.

This accommodation does not affect entry requirements to other countries. Americans traveling to a country that requires passports must still present those documents.

Since implementation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has and will continue to exercise its current authorities in unique circumstances to allow individuals subject to the WHTI requirements into the United States based on other evidence of identity and citizenship.

As early as January 2008, the Departments will begin to implement WHTI at land and sea ports of entry. A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking outlining a phased implementation is expected to be published in the Federal Register within the next two weeks.

Travel document security remains a top priority for the U.S. Government. Both the 9/11 Commission and the U.S. Congress urged strengthening of travel documents to prevent entry of terrorists across our borders, reduce use of fraudulent documents, and speed up entry procedures.

For more information, click here.

An announcement by Airbus that European passengers will soon be able to use cell phones and Blackberry devices in flight may give business travelers flying on aircraft built by the Toulouse-based manufacturer a major boost in productivity, and a marketing advantage to carriers that offer the service. According to a statement issued by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives’ (ACTE), enhanced in-flight communication services are coming and it’s time to start shaping them now, while they are in the developmental stage.

“Two years ago, ACTE President Greeley Koch testified before Congress that in-flight cell phone service -- and internet access -- would be introduced to the traveling public in the near future,” said Susan Gurley, the association’s Executive Director. “Opposition to In-flight cell phone service in the United States cited every conceivable objection to the program, including increased cabin noise and disruption, security concerns, and possible interference with navigational instruments. Apparently, Airbus and European authorities are confident they can introduce an enhanced in-flight communication package without compromising passenger comfort, safety or security.”

Airbus stated that passengers will be able to make and take calls, as well as send and receive text or e-mail messages using its global system for mobile communications (GSM), which has received the backing of the European Aviation Safety Agency. Yet as an added option to preserve quiet in the cabin, crews will have the ability to switch off the “voice” mode permitting only text messaging and e-mail services. OnAir, a joint venture of Airbus and industry information-technology body SITA, will be the service provider for a range of connectivity services.

“An ACTE poll on in-flight cell phone service indicated our US membership was divided on the subject, with a slight majority, 52 percent, in favor of the service. Yet that figure jumped to 97 percent when presented with the option of internet access through Blackberries or laptops. Clearly there is the possibility here to establish a more acceptable ‘type don’t talk’ cabin communications policy,” said Gurley.

The decision to make in-flight cell service a reality rests with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States. The FCC ended a three-year proceeding to lift the cell ban in March of 2007, based on the determination that there was insufficient information as to whether the use of wireless devices on aircraft would disrupt wireless installations on the ground. At present, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also bans the in-flight use of wireless devices because of potential interference with avionics.

The FCC has approved rules that allow in-flight voice and data services using dedicated air-to-ground frequencies, such as those previously used for seat-back telephones.

For more information, click here.

As many as 8,707 rooms, or 47 properties, may enter the Manhattan market from 2007 through 2009, notes a recent study by HVS Hospitality Services, a global hospitality consulting firm. Given the number of new lodging facilities proposed for Manhattan, a substantial portion of previously unaccommodated demand is expected to be accommodated in the future. Manhattan’s occupancy and average rate both achieved new record levels in 2006, and this trend is expected to continue in 2007.

Nine hotels opened in 2006, adding 1,008 units to the market, compared to 758 new rooms in 2005. Of the nine hotels, five were mid-scale or economy products, and the remaining four were boutique lodging facilities. The properties are spread all over Manhattan; however, five of the hotels are located in Chelsea, Times Square, or on Fifth Avenue in Midtown West.

Of the anticipated new projects, 45% represent limited-service hotels, while 28% can be classified as boutique hotels. Only two new lodging facilities have been proposed for the luxury segment apart from the reopening of the significantly smaller Plaza hotel and the Mark hotel.

For more information, click here.

For the second consecutive year, Continental Airlines has ranked the highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers in North America in the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 North America Airline Satisfaction Study(SM)…Delta Air Lines SkyMiles® members may now bid miles for a variety of merchandise, such as unique gifts, exclusive event opportunities and exciting adventure packages, through the new SkyMiles Online Auction…Northwest Airlines announced new service between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and New York’s LaGuardia International Airport (LGA) beginning Sept. 5, 2007…United Airlines announced plans to begin hiring pilots later this year, the first time it has done so since 2001, to accommodate United’s schedule, including an increase in the number of international destinations it serves…US Airways has agreed to terms with Airbus S.A.S. for 60 single-aisle A320-family aircraft and 32 widebody aircraft, including the next generation A350 XWB. The A320-family planes would replace 60 older aircraft in the airline's fleet.

in April '07 increased to 75.7%, up 1.8 points vs. the running 12 month average of % and up 2.4 points from March’s 73.3%. To view the USDOT's Bureau of Transportation Statistics' (BTS) Air Travel Consumer Report, click here.

The United States Government has posted recent travel advisories and warnings for Afghanistan, Algeria, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, East Timor, Eritrea, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, the West Bank and Gaza and Yemen.