Welcome to the June 2008 Issue of Travology Today

Directravel is pleased to announce two enhancements to our website, www.dt.com:

1. My Travology was created to allow corporate travelers to have commonly used, travel-related features accessible with one login.

“Our clients have been asking for ways to simplify the tasks associated with managing their travel programs,” said Pat Fragale, president of Directravel. “We found a way to consolidate their requests and built a convenient technology portal so the tools they want most often can be accessed with one simple login.”

A wizard walks a user through creating an individual login, which will then allow client travelers to access their booking tool for making travel arrangements, invoices from past trips for submission with expense reports, frequent flyer information, weather information, current travel news and past issues of the corporate newsletter.

2. We have enhanced our leisure offerings as well. The Featured Packages page of the Vacations section now includes a search engine for researching leisure trips. This easy-to-use tool makes vacation planning very simple and allows you to forward the Travologists at Directravel’s leisure division an e-mail for personalized assistance and booking.

In addition, you can enter for a chance to win a $250 travel gift certificate. No purchase is necessary but the promotion ends July 31st.

Directravel will be exhibiting at the NBTA Conference in Los Angeles next month. Be sure to stop by Booth 859 and say hello to our team, as well as pick up a copy of our new white paper on maximizing your travel management program.

Deteriorating levels of customer service provided by airline staff—rather than high fares and additional charges for amenities—have led to a significant decline in customer satisfaction with airline carriers, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 North America Airline Satisfaction StudySM. Overall satisfaction for the airline industry has declined in 2008 to its lowest level in three years.

The study finds that satisfaction with “people” factors—including knowledge, courtesy and helpfulness of reservation and gate agents, check-in staff and flight crew—has declined dramatically since 2007, and is the leading contributing factor to the overall decline in customer satisfaction with airlines in 2008. The decrease in satisfaction with people factors is more than twice as large as the decline in satisfaction with price factors.

The study measures overall customer satisfaction based on performance in seven measures (in order of importance): cost and fees; flight crew; in-flight services; aircraft; boarding/deplaning/baggage; check-in and reservation. Carriers are ranked in two segments: low-cost and traditional network. Low-cost carriers are defined as airlines that operate single-cabin aircraft with typically lower fares, while traditional network carriers are defined as airlines that operate multicabin aircraft and use multiple airport hubs.

Traditional Network Carrier Rankings

Alaska Airlines and Continental Airlines each rank highest in the traditional network carrier segment, in a tie. Continental ranks highest in the segment for a third consecutive year.

Alaska performs particularly well in five of seven measures: aircraft; boarding/deplaning/baggage; check-in; flight crew and reservation, while Continental performs well in the cost and fees measure.

The study also finds the following key patterns:

• While complimentary meals are the most-desired amenity for Pre-Boomer, Baby Boomer and Generation X air travelers, in-flight movies are most desired by Generation Y passengers.
• The percentage of travelers who say they chose a particular carrier because of its rewards program has increased to 22 percent in 2008 from 14 percent in 2007. Price is the most frequently reported reason for choosing a carrier in 2008 at 39 percent, down from 42 percent in 2007.

The 2008 North America Airline Satisfaction Study measures customer satisfaction of both business and leisure travelers with major North American carriers. The study is based on responses from 19,701 passengers who flew on a major North American airline between April 2007 and March 2008.

For more information, click here.

At a time when fuel costs are soaring, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced new East Coast routes over the ocean that have the potential to save millions of dollars in fuel, reduce delays and help the environment.

“We’re taking a major step forward in efficiency,” said Robert A. Sturgell, the FAA’s acting administrator. “These additional routes will save time, fuel and money.”

Standardized aircraft navigation, Required Navigation Performance (RNP) 10, will allow planes to fly closer together over the Atlantic from New York to the Caribbean, creating more routes and reducing delays along that busy corridor.

Reducing the lateral separation between aircraft from 90 nautical miles (nm) to 50 nm will increase the number of available routes for aircraft traveling off the East Coast by about 40 percent. These routes are in areas that include New York oceanic, Miami oceanic, and the San Juan Center Approach Control airspace.

These new routes give controllers the flexibility to offer more efficient flight altitudes, enabling aircraft to reach their destinations more quickly. They are projected to reduce aircraft carbon emissions by 3.9 million tons and save between $400 and $700 million in fuel costs over a 15-year period.

The FAA is now able to reduce the separation in oceanic airspace because most aircraft have been equipped with more sophisticated on-board navigation equipment. Airlines and aircraft that are authorized for RNP will be able to take advantage of the reduced separation standards. RNP aircraft may fly on any desired flight path within the coverage of ground- or space-based navigational aids. Approximately 95 percent of the aircraft that fly through this airspace are now RNP-equipped. The changes took effect on June 5.

For more information, click here.

As many are aware, Registered Traveler (RT) is a nation-wide program, offered by the private sector with oversight by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), designed to improve customer service and increase security at airports. To be eligible for the program, travelers must volunteer background information about themselves in order for TSA to conduct a security assessment. Participants are also required to pay an annual fee.

According to the TSA, program participants will experience a passenger screening process that is modified to afford greater customer service. At those checkpoints where the layout and traveler volumes permit, RT cardholders will have a dedicated lane and will receive additional screening benefits. While the combination of benefits and security measures available at each participating airport may vary, all RT program participants should receive an expedited and more convenient checkpoint experience.

Private sector companies will provide enrollment services for RT participants, including the collection of biometric and other information from applicants as well as program fees. The biometric information such as a fingerprint or iris scan, will be used to create a secure identity credential.

FLO Corporation develops, markets, sells and deploys FLO™ an end-to-end solution for the RT program. The secure, biometric FLO card will allow qualified individuals to take advantage of expedited security screening procedures at participating airports, and in time promotional incentives offered by retail partners.

Multiple membership levels are available. FLO's Gold Ambassador package is just $100 per year and includes a variety of added benefits and services. FLO bundles over 25 additional services into its Gold Level Package at no additional cost to its members. Discerning members have the option of upgrading to FLO's Platinum Package for $200 per year which includes over 70 value-added benefits exclusive to FLO.

The FLO card is accepted at all Registered Traveler equipped airports, including Albany (ALB), Denver (DEN), Dulles (IAD), Indianapolis (IND), Jacksonville (JAX), Little Rock (LIT), Newark (EWR), New York JFK and La Guardia (LGA), Oakland, CA (OAK), Orlando (MCO), Reno (RNO), Salt Lake City (SLC), San Francisco (SFO), San Jose, CA (SJC), Washington Reagan (DCA) and Westchester (HPN).

Anyone who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, and is at least 12 years of age is eligible for the FLO card. For more information, click here.

The American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AH&LA) Green Assessment Survey results reveal the top 10 green initiatives hotels are enacting, the top 10 green programs hotels can improve upon, motivations and challenges for implementing green lodging practices, and quantifiable measurements of green action being taken around the nation.

Among the many findings, the survey revealed the following notable statistics:

• Eighty-eight percent of respondents’ properties have a linen reuse program for guests who stay multiple nights; 83.5 percent offer a towel reuse program;
• Nearly half (43.4 percent) of responding properties have programmable on/off timers or sensors used for lighting in low traffic/occupancy, though only 16 percent use occupancy sensor control for guestroom thermostats;
• The majority (82.3 percent) of properties surveyed train maintenance staff on conservation and energy procedures;
• Environmental benefits and building guest loyalty tie for biggest motivation responding properties cite for implementing green practices;
• Respondents note that having enough capital to invest and achieving ROI are the top two biggest barriers to implementing eco-friendly initiatives.

“Results of this survey show that the hospitality industry is serious about the environment and is addressing eco issues head on,” said Joseph A. McInerney, CHA, AH&LA President/CEO. “Of particular interest is successful linen reuse programs at many of our member hotels across the country. In addition to reducing the hotel’s environmental impact, programs like these engage the guest, increasing their awareness of environmental concerns and offering an easy way they can minimize their eco footprint while they travel.”

Green Assessment Survey results were compiled based on 217 responses from AH&LA member hotels. Results provide necessary feedback and real-world examples of various levels of green operations in different levels of properties across the country and assist in the association’s development of a baseline for industry-wide green programs. Several successful AH&LA members’ programs are highlighted on the association’s Green Best Practices Website , an online resource featuring cost-effective and eco-savvy practices in energy conservation, hotel operations, certifications, and suppliers producing environmentally-friendly products.

The full survey results can be found by clicking here.

American Airlines announced that it was awarded Best Economy/Coach Class at the 26th Annual OAG Airline Industry Awards, sponsored by Boeing and held June 4 in London…Continental Airlines announced a new policy allowing customers to make changes to flights within 24 hours of their original scheduled departure for a discounted change fee. Within the 24-hour same-day period, customers with restricted tickets may change to another flight departing within 12 hours for the discounted fee. Continental previously allowed customers to choose from flights departing within three hours… Continental Airlines and United Airlines announced a framework agreement to cooperate extensively, linking their networks and services worldwide to the benefit of customers, and creating revenue opportunities and cost savings and other efficiencies. In addition, Continental plans to join United in the Star Alliance, the most comprehensive airline alliance in the world…Delta Air Lines confirmed that a tentative agreement has been reached between the Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines units of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) on a joint contract to take effect upon closing of the Delta-Northwest merger, expected later this year. The pilot groups also have established a separate process designed to establish a single pilot seniority list by the close of the merger… United Airlines said earlier this month it will start requiring minimum stays for nearly all domestic flights beginning in October. It is also raising its cheapest fares by as much as $90 one-way…US Airways customers will soon have more Asia-Pacific connecting options through a new US Airways codeshare relationship with Star Alliance member carrier Air China Limited. The agreement puts the US code on Air China service to Beijing from Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport…

in April '08 increased to 77.7%, up 4.3 points vs. the running 12 month average of 73.4% and up 6.1 points from March’s 71.6%. 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, Burma (Mynamar), Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Cote d’lvoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, East Timor, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Kenya, Lebanon, Nepal, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.