Welcome to the November 2008 Issue of Travology Today

Directravel was tested recently on the ability of our travel consultants’, Travologists™, to achieve the lowest available airfare at time of ticketing, and received a perfect 100% on international bookings for the second year in a row, according to results provided by Topaz International, a world leader in auditing, benchmarking information and consultancy.

This independent evaluation focused on airline bookings for the month of October. Directravel’s accuracy rate for domestic reservations came in at 98.66%, maintaining the excellent results from the prior year. For international reservations, the company achieved the lowest available airfare on every booking.

“Third-party audits allow us to provide an unbiased assessment of the job we’re doing on behalf of our clients,” said Patrick Fragale, president of Directravel. “In this tough economic climate, where companies are paying even closer attention to every dollar they spend, it is incumbent upon us to validate the value we provide through independent appraisals. It remains our goal to always be ahead of the curve when it comes to providing measurable cost-savings to our clients.”

Over the holidays, millions of Americans will take to the roads, railways, and skies to visit loved ones. For too many travelers, though, it means long delays, cancellations, and lost bags. New measures were recently announced that bolster the government’s efforts to address those problems.

• This year, the military is expanding "Thanksgiving Express Lanes" to areas of the Midwest, Southwest, and West Coast, including the skies over Phoenix and Los Angeles. As they did last Thanksgiving, the Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense will make military airspace available for use by civilian airliners over the holiday season – but this year even more airspace will be open, and it will be available for a longer period of time.
• An unprecedented effort is in place to reduce air congestion by boosting flight capacity at some of America's busiest airports. DOT has completed 13 major airport improvement projects, including 11 new runways. Three more runways (for a total of 14 during this Administration) will open at Seattle-Tacoma, Washington-Dulles, and Chicago-O'Hare (see related article below).
• The Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration are working to make more staff available to speed up check-in and boarding and to help passengers affected by cancellations and delays.
• The DOT has completed new regulations that provide increased protections for consumers. Recent actions include requiring airlines to provide greater compensation for lost bags and imposing tougher penalties when airlines fail to notify travelers of hidden fees. These new rules are expected to take effect in December, in time for Christmas and the New Year.
  • Next month, airlines will be required to pay travelers up to $3,300 per lost bag, up from today's $3,000.
  • Next month, the maximum consumer protection penalties will rise from $25,000 to $27,500.
• Advancing a regulation to hold airlines accountable for how they treat passengers during long tarmac delays. The new proposed rule would require airlines to have airport-specific plans in place to ensure that all passengers are treated appropriately during extended tarmac delays.
• Addressing the heavy air traffic around New York City, which is the source of many of the flight delays and cancellations across our country. They have improved local air-traffic control, added a new departure route from the metro area, and capped the total number of flights. DOT has just awarded nearly $90 million over an eight-year period to upgrade existing taxiways and build new ones at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Together, these actions will help reduce flight delays across the country.
• Starting this January, the FAA will auction takeoff and landing slots at New York airports. This will increase competition for access to these airports, helping to lower fares for consumers. It will provide incentives for airlines to boost their efficiency and use larger planes to carry more passengers on each flight.
• An Executive Order (EO) has been signed to ensure that modernizing our aviation system remains a leading priority for Federal agencies. This action strengthens DOT's coordination with other Federal agencies.
  • The EO will help transform the national air transportation system and effectively implement the NextGen Initiative (Next Generation Air Transportation System) that utilizes satellite-based guidance technology, which is safer, more secure, affordable, and environmentally friendly.

For more information on these and other DOT-related travel initiatives, click here.

The 41 million people forecast by AAA to travel over Thanksgiving despite mounting economic concerns is due to a desire to maintain traditions, create memories and build relationships, according to a unique Harris Interactive survey recently completed for the Travel Industry Association that identifies why people travel over the holidays.

The survey of 2,256 adults conducted earlier this month showed that despite economic concerns some 60 percent of those visiting with out-of-town family or friends strongly feel the time and money spent is a small price to pay to be with people they love. (Click here for survey announcement.)

“Holiday travel’s stability and relative strength compared with other sectors of the economy is an indication of how much people value the experience of sharing time with loved ones,” said Suzanne Cook, Senior Vice President of Research for the Travel Industry Association.

Thanksgiving travel is expected to decline a modest 1.4 percent compared with a year ago. Many other areas of the economy affected by discretionary income, such as automobile sales and certain retail sectors, have reported significantly larger declines in recent months or anticipate larger declines during the fourth quarter.

The Harris survey revealed that among those who visit with out of town family or friends:

• 70 percent recognize it’s a tradition to be with family or friends at Thanksgiving.
• 68 percent strongly agree that it creates memories for them and/or their children.
• 61 percent strongly feel being with family and friends over the holidays helps them reconnect with loved ones and build relationships.

The 41 million people forecast to travel for Thanksgiving this year is essentially the same number that traveled in 2006.

For more information, click here.

Specially Designated "Green" Lane for Passengers with Larger, Medically Necessary Liquids as Well

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced the expansion of its popular family lane concept to every security checkpoint in America. This expansion comes in time for the busy Thanksgiving travel season and was complete on Thursday, Nov. 20.

The lanes, part of TSA's Diamond Self-Select program currently at 48 airports, allow families, individuals unfamiliar with air travel procedures and travelers with special needs to go through security at their own pace. Individuals carrying medically necessary liquids, aerosols and gels in excess of three ounces will also be directed to these popular lanes. Individuals traveling with liquids, gels and aerosols within 3-1-1 limits will experience no change to their screening procedures.

The introduction of lanes that will serve as both family lanes and dedicated lanes for passengers carrying medically necessary liquids strengthens TSA efforts to build a network of technology to detect liquid explosives.

"Passengers have clearly demonstrated their preference to go at their own pace," said TSA Administrator Kip Hawley. "Expanding these lanes to every airport and directing families and passengers with medically necessary liquids to them, increases passenger convenience and security."

Officers manning these dedicated family lanes will use their training and explosive detection technologies to work with passengers to quickly and efficiently complete the screening process. Individuals traveling with medically necessary liquids, gels and aerosols like baby formula, insulin, cough syrup, contact lens solution and prescription medications will undergo additional screening that will usually take less than two minutes to ensure these items do not pose a threat.

Liquid explosives are still a relevant security concern. Restrictions on quantities of liquids, gels and aerosols carried onboard aircraft were implemented in August 2006. Technological innovations will allow a review of current procedures by the Fall of 2009. For more information on checkpoint security, please visit www.tsa.gov.

AirportHavens.com Helps Travelers Find Quiet, Private Spaces in Crowded Airports

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, as millions of Americans head home to enjoy the holidays. Travelers seeking a “privacy oasis” during the holiday season can log on to AirportHavens.com to find the most peaceful and private spaces at airports across the country, courtesy of 3M computer privacy filters.

From deserted airport gates to serene chapels and meditation rooms, AirportHavens.com contains an extensive collection of the best places to find some privacy, get some work done or simply relax at airports across the U.S. Frequent business travelers and road warriors helped 3M create the website by contributing their insider secrets to help their fellow travelers find some privacy.

For the first time, 3M computer privacy filters is also creating an Airport Haven at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport during the two days prior to Thanksgiving — Tuesday, Nov. 25 and Wednesday, Nov. 26 – which are among the busiest travel days of the year. The 3M Privacy Filters Airport Haven will offer Atlanta travelers VIP service with free wi-fi, snacks, beverages, and massages to help them relax and de-stress during this busy travel time. The Airport Haven, located at the Atlanta Airport Executive Conference Center on the 3rd floor of the Atrium between the North and South terminals, will be open from 8 am to 5 pm.

“The best way to deal with this busy travel time is to plan ahead,” says business travel expert Chris McGinnis. “Researching a quiet place at the airport to avoid the crowds and bringing some work to feel productive helps pass the time and relieves stress. Also, whenever doing work in public places, travelers should be aware that other travelers may be looking at their screen – it’s human nature.”

In fact, two in five people (44 percent) admit to sneaking looks at others’ screens while in public places, so it is important to protect sensitive information by finding an airport haven or using a computer privacy filter. Privacy filters help prevent “wandering eyes” from viewing confidential information on laptop computer screens, LCD monitors, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cell phones. The filters allow people sitting directly in front of the screen to see their documents and information while effectively darkening side views.

For more information on privacy filters or to find an airport haven, please visit www.airporthavens.com.

New Runways Increase Capacity, Reduce Congestion and Delays

Dulles, O’Hare and Seattle-Tacoma International Airports all celebrate new runway openings on November 20. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and Acting Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Robert Sturgell were on hand to welcome the first flights on the new runways.

“The new runways will help passengers by increasing capacity and decreasing congestion and delays at those airports,” said ACI-NA President Greg Principato. “But we also need to continue our investment in airport infrastructure. These projects each took years to become a reality and airports need to gather the resources now in order to meet the predicted demand for travel in the future.”

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the cost of building the three new runways was more than $2 billion, with $676 million in funding from the FAA Airport Improvement Program. However, the majority of the new runways were paid for with the passenger facility charge (PFC) – a local user fee added to the price of airline tickets. PFCs are recommended by airports and, with input from airlines serving that airport, approved by the FAA.

Dulles International Airport: In recent years, as aircraft operations at Dulles grew, expanding the current three-runway system became a necessity. The first three runways at Dulles date back to the Airport's 1962 opening date. This project adds a fourth runway and paves the way for a future fifth runway. Both runways were approved by an FAA Record of Decision in 2005. Construction of the fourth runway began in 2006, but fifth runway construction is not yet scheduled.

O’Hare International Airport: At O’Hare International Airport, the new Runway 9L/27R is O’Hare’s first new runway since 1971. The 7,500 foot long runway will be used primarily as a bad-weather arrival runway, addressing one of O’Hare’s biggest causes of delay. It is a Group 5 CAT II/III Runway, designed for planes as large as a Boeing 747. CAT II/III Capability is the best available for landing arriving airplanes in inclement weather. The runway is also equipped with a state-of-the-art Instrument Landing System as well as embedded weather sensors in the pavement to alert the tower of ice on the runway.

New Runway 9L will immediately reduce delays at O’Hare. The FAA estimates that delays will be reduced from today’s average of 24 minutes to 16 minutes per flight, especially in bad weather conditions, while adding an additional 52,000 flights annually. These benefits also prompted the FAA to remove the flight caps, put in place in 2004, that reduced the number of arrivals at O’Hare during peak times.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the new third runway is 8,500 feet long, 150 feet wide and 17 inches thick. Sea-Tac's new third runway is designed to help decrease delays during low visibility conditions, which occurs approximately 44 percent of the year. The third runway will allow two streams of traffic to land in lower visibility conditions. Currently, Sea-Tac's two runways are too close to each other to allow two streams of traffic to arrive in such conditions.

For more information, click here.

American Airlines The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and American Airlines announced the launch of a Paperless Boarding Pass pilot program at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). It will allow passengers to receive boarding passes electronically on their cell phones or PDAs, which will then be scanned by TSA security officers at the checkpoint and eliminate the need for a paper boarding pass…Continental Airlines will allow you to donate your OnePass miles to a worthy charity including the American Red Cross, Make-A-Wish Foundation, March of Dimes and others…Delta Air Lines announced it is adding 15 new international routes for summer 2009, including service to 12 destinations not flown by any other U.S. carrier. The addition of trans-Pacific, trans-Atlantic and African routes advances Delta’s strategy of taking customers to more unique destinations across the globe and investing in underserved markets. …US Airways announced that it is reinstating the bonus miles and 500 minimum miles accrual benefits for customers with Preferred membership in the US Airways Dividend Miles frequent flyer program.

in September '08 increased to 84.9%, up 9.9 points vs. the running 12 month average of 75.0% and up 6.5 points from August’s 78.4%. 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, Chad, Colombia, Cote d’lvoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Kenya, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Yemen.