Welcome to the April 2009 Issue of Travology Today

Directravel would like to remind all travelers that the recently implemented after-hours international toll free numbers handled by the Directravel team are currently in effect. Please be sure to replace any programmed numbers with those listed below.

Current countries where the 800 number is applicable are the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Italy, France, Hong Kong, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Switzerland and China. The common number is 00 800 5252 1111; for Hong Kong the number is 001 800 5252 1111.

These numbers are printed on all itineraries for use in the event of a travel emergency. Additional countries will be added at a later date.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your National Account Manager.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced the implementation of the Secure Flight program, which shifts pre-departure watch list matching responsibilities from individual aircraft operators to TSA and carries out a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. To date, TSA has assumed the watch list matching responsibility for passengers on domestic commercial flights with four volunteer aircraft operators and will add more carriers in the coming months.

Under Secure Flight, airlines will gather a passenger's full name (as it appears on the government issued document they are traveling with), date of birth, and gender when making an airline reservation to determine if the passenger is a match to the No Fly or Selectee lists. By providing the additional data elements of gender and date of birth, Secure Flight will more effectively help prevent misidentification of passengers who have similar names to individuals on the watch list.

In addition to addressing misidentification, Secure Flight protects sensitive watch list data and enables officials to address security threats sooner, keeping air travel safer. By implementing one watch list matching system, the program provides a fair and consistent matching process across all airlines.

The program timeline is as follows:

• January 2009 – the program began implementation with volunteer airlines
• May 15, 2009 – domestic airlines are required to request and provide full passenger name for all reservations booked starting with this date
• August 15, 2009 – domestic airlines are required to provide all Secure Flight Passenger Data, including full name, gender and date of birth.
• October 31, 2009 – all airlines are required to request and provide full Secure Flight Passenger Data

TSA continues to provide a robust redress process through the Department of Homeland Security's Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP), a single portal for travelers to seek redress for adverse screening experiences and resolve possible watch list misidentification issues. Secure Flight uses the results of the redress process in its watch list matching process to prevent future misidentification of passengers who may have a name that's similar to an individual on the watch list.

TSA's goal is to vet 100 percent of all domestic commercial flights by early 2010 and 100 percent of all international commercials flights by the end of 2010.

For more information on Secure Flight, click here.

Vision for a New Era in Rail Entails Clean, Energy-Efficient Option for Travelers

President Barack Obama, along with Vice President Biden and Secretary LaHood, announced a new U.S. push to transform travel in America, creating high-speed rail lines from city to city, reducing dependence on cars and planes and spurring economic development.

The President released a strategic plan outlining his vision for high speed rail in America. The plan identifies $8 billion provided in the ARRA and $1 billion a year for five years requested in the federal budget as a down payment to jump-start a potential world-class passenger rail system and sets the direction of transportation policy for the future. The strategic plan will be followed by detailed guidance for state and local applicants. By late summer, the Federal Railroad Administration will begin awarding the first round of grants.

Additional funding for long-term planning and development is expected from legislation authorizing federal surface transportation programs.

The report formalizes the identification of ten high-speed rail corridors as potential recipients of federal funding. Those lines are: California, Pacific Northwest, South Central, Gulf Coast, Chicago Hub Network, Florida, Southeast, Keystone, Empire and Northern New England. Also, opportunities exist for the Northeast Corridor from Washington to Boston to compete for funds to improve the nation’s only existing high-speed rail service.

With a boost from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Obama administration launched a competitive process to drive local communities to develop their high-speed rail potential. The President, Vice President and Secretary of Transportation are urging states and local communities to put together plans for a network of 100 mile to 600 mile corridors, which will compete for the federal dollars. The merit-driven process will result in federal grants as soon as late summer 2009.

President Obama’s vision for high-speed rail mirrors that of President Eisenhower, the father of the Interstate highway system, which revolutionized the way Americans traveled. Now, high-speed rail has the potential to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, lower harmful carbon emissions, foster new economic development and give travelers more choices when it comes to moving around the country.

“My high-speed rail proposal will lead to innovations that change the way we travel in America. We must start developing clean, energy-efficient transportation that will define our regions for centuries to come,” said President Obama. “A major new high-speed rail line will generate many thousands of construction jobs over several years, as well as permanent jobs for rail employees and increased economic activity in the destinations these trains serve. High-speed rail is long-overdue, and this plan lets American travelers know that they are not doomed to a future of long lines at the airports or jammed cars on the highways.”

The plan identifies two types of projects for funding. One would create new corridors for world-class high-speed rail like the kind found in Europe and Japan. Another would involve making train service along existing rail lines incrementally faster.

Under the plan, high-speed rail development will advance along three funding tracks:

• Individual Projects. Providing grants to complete individual projects that are “ready to go” with completed environmental and preliminary engineering work – with an emphasis on near term job creation. Eligible projects include acquisition, construction of or improvements to infrastructure, facilities and equipment.
• Corridor programs. Developing entire phases or geographic sections of high-speed rail corridors that have completed corridor plans, environmental documentation and have a prioritized list of projects to help meet the corridor objectives.
• Planning. Entering into cooperative agreements for planning activities (including development of corridor plans and State Rail Plans) using non-American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) appropriations funds. This third approach is intended to help establish a structured mechanism and funding stream for future corridor development activities.

For more information, click here.

Leading global market research firm Synovate this month released results from a consumer survey on hotels, finding that one in ten people will now only stay at a hotel if it has a green policy.

Sheri Lambert, Synovate's United States-based Senior Vice President for Travel & Leisure research, said the company undertook the survey to explore how people find and select the hotels they stay in, and how important certain hotel features are to them.

"Ask any regular traveller and you can almost guarantee they will have a hotel-from-hell story and (hopefully) a hotel-from-heaven counterpart. Whether people are traveling for pleasure or business, the place where they park their head at night can make or break the experience."

With so much choice and a mind-boggling amount of information out there, how does a traveler find the hotel that suits them best? Most people (46%) do a little research, find a few comparable choices and select the most suitable one. But one in ten (10%) people simply choose the first ok one that they find.

The survey asked people exactly how they research their hotel options. Demonstrating the importance of an impressive online presence, the number one way people assess a hotel is via its website. Twenty-nine percent of potential hotel guests globally use this more than any other research tool, topped by the French at 55%.

Word-of-mouth is the second most popular choice, with 20%, or one in five people, who ask colleagues, friends or relatives about hotels. This approach was especially popular in the two South East Asian markets surveyed (42% of people in Indonesia and 35% in Malaysia use this more than any other research technique).

Other interesting findings on selecting a hotel:

• 13% of Americans read travel magazines to choose hotels, more than anyone else
• 24% of people in Hong Kong and 17% in the UAE check with their travel agent (still very personal)
• 10% in the UAE read individual travelers' blogs for insight

Technology is not only the way many people find their hotels, it can make or break whether a hotel is chosen. Taking work with them, or even enjoying an on-the-road iPod dock, has become increasingly important to more and more people.

An overall 47% of people agree that a hotel must cater to their technology needs before they book it, including 50% of men and 44% of women.

A hotel's green credentials are also important to guests. The Synovate survey asked potential guests to choose a statement that best described their feelings about all-things-green in their home away from home.

Interestingly, nearly one in ten people (9%) say they will not stay at a hotel unless it has an environmental policy.

Over half of all respondents chose the pragmatic-yet-caring approach, agreeing that 'a hotel's environmental policy is important to me, but I don't research it ahead of time'.

Even the most travel weary road warrior can still get a thrill from a spectacular hotel experience. Of course there is a flip side too and hotels need to rigorously manage the customer experience from start to finish.

An overall 72% of all respondents agree that a bad hotel experience can ruin an entire trip, and 85% of people globally agree they will tell others about a bad experience.

But in better news for hoteliers, 90% say they will tell others about a good experience, sharing the 'inside scoop' with their friends and family.

Curiosities

• 39% of all respondents like getting steamy in their hotel... in the spa, that is. They prefer to stay in a hotel with these facilities. Men are just as interested as women in this amenity
• Seven in ten (70%) of people say they will stay in less expensive hotels given the current economy
• People say the best hotels can be found in Europe (27%) and Asia (19%).

For more information on Synovate visit www.synovate.com.

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) released a report highlighting the most recent impacts of the economic crisis on global business travel. In a March 2009 survey of 119 corporate travel managers, NBTA found that nearly 85 percent of respondent companies have decreased travel spend since October 2008, and more than 70 percent expected continued decreases through 2009. In response to cut backs, 53 percent of respondents report that new travel management initiatives have saved companies more than US$50,000 since October 2009.

Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP, NBTA President & CEO, said, “In a time when corporations are suffering because of a down economy, traveling smarter becomes a top priority. This report shows that during a recession, an efficient travel management program is key to saving money while still keeping travelers on the road to help bolster revenue. Corporate travel managers are coming to the rescue when corporate cost heroes are needed most.”

The NBTA report reveals a confidence in travel management, as 63 percent of respondents feel secure in their current positions. While half of those respondents believe their companies value their positions more than ever in a cost cutting economy, nearly 20 percent have reported reduced travel staff in recent months.

Survey respondents also indicated that both the economy and recent negative perception of corporate meetings and events have been major factors in reduced spend for meetings, conferences, incentives and client events despite the fact that 85 percent report offsite strategy meetings and leadership conferences as an important part of their companies’ business planning and talent-development process.

For more information, click here.

A relaxing meal at 30,000 feet should be complemented by a signature glass of wine from a region of the world significant to that flight. Classically trained winemaker and viticulturist, Ken Chase, is now selecting wines for American Airlines so travelers can experience new adventures in taste…Continental Airlines announced it will resume daily, non-stop seasonal service between its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport and Athens, Greece, effective May 2, 2009 (eastbound). …Delta Air Lines’ maintenance division, Delta TechOps, announced that it has become the exclusive commercial aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider of a new state-of-the-art technology known as Low Plasticity Burnishing (LPB). LPB, developed by Cincinnati-based Lambda Technologies, can be used to extend the life of commercial aircraft components, such as landing gear, propeller hubs, and turbine engine blades…Qatar Airways and OnAir announced an agreement to install Mobile OnAir inflight passenger communications services on board the airline’s single-aisle fleet, using a passenger’s own mobile phone or BlackBerry-type device to send and receive text messages and emails, and access the Internet. They will also be able to access the Internet using their own laptops fitted with GSM data cards…U.S. Airways customers who check in online at usairways.com with tickets booked starting April 23 for flights on or after July 9 will have the option to prepay $15 for their first checked bag and $25 for their second checked bag. Web check-in is available within 24 hours of scheduled departure time. Passengers who choose to pay for checking their bags at the airport will be charged an additional $5 service fee per bag.

in February '09 increased to 82.6%, up 5.1 points vs. the running 12 month average of 77.5% and up 5.6 points from January’s 77.0%. 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’lvoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Georgia, Haiti, Iran, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Kenya, Lebanon, Madagascar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.