Welcome to the June 2009 Issue of Travology Today

Directravel would like to wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July!

With the launch of the new name and data requirements from the TSA under the Secure Flight program, some travelers have been experiencing confusion over the implementation and timeline of the program. Listed below are the Top 5 questions (and answers) from the TSA website.

Top 5 Secure Flight Questions

Q. What is Secure Flight and what does it do?

A. Secure Flight is a behind the scenes program that streamlines the watch list matching process. It will improve the travel experience for all passengers, including those who have been misidentified in the past.

Q. Are all airlines participating in the Secure Flight program at this time?

A. No. Secure Flight will be phased-in and each airline will be incorporating the necessary changes into their systems over the coming months. Passengers shouldn't be concerned if particular airlines don't ask them to provide the additional information right away; it should not impact their travel. Each airline will request this information as their capability to capture it is integrated into their individual systems.

Q. If the name printed on my boarding pass is different than what appears on my government ID, will I still be able to fly?

A. Boarding passes may not always display the exact name you provided when booking your travel. The name you provide when booking your travel is used to perform the watch list matching before a boarding pass is ever issued, so small differences should not impact your travel. Secure Flight is a behind-the-scenes process that TSA and airlines collaborate on to compare the information you provide against government watch lists. The additional data elements that you may be asked to provide, such as date of birth and gender, serve to better differentiate you from individuals on the government watch list.

You should ensure that the name provided when booking your travel matches the government ID that you will use when traveling. However, TSA has built some flexibility into the processes regarding passenger name accuracy. For the near future, small differences between the passenger’s ID and the passenger’s reservation information, such as the use of a middle initial instead of a full middle name or no middle name/initial at all, should not cause a problem for the passenger. Over time, passengers should strive to obtain consistency between the name on their ID and their travel information.

Q. What if my name and I.D. do not exactly match when I arrive at security? Will I be turned away and unable to fly?

A. No. Secure Flight will not impact the process at the security checkpoint in any way. At the security checkpoint, TSA strives to ensure you are who you say you are. TSA performs travel document checking to see that you, your identification, and your boarding pass match and are valid. TSA performs this function because identity matters and it is critical to security to ensure that individuals with hostile intent do not board aircraft. Secure Flight is a behind-the-scenes process that TSA and airlines collaborate on to compare the information you provide against government watch lists. The additional data elements that you may be asked to provide, such as date of birth and gender, serve to better differentiate you from individuals on the government watch list. Secure Flight will not impact the security checkpoint experience. While Secure Flight and travel document checking are both critical security functions, they serve different purposes at different points in the security process.

Q. Does the name on all of my IDs have to match? What if my driver's license has only my middle initial, but my passport has my full name? Should I change my driver's license to match my passport?

A. Secure Flight does not require that the names on all of your IDs be identical. Passengers should provide their name as it appears on their government-issued ID they plan to use when traveling. This provides TSA the best information possible to use when performing watch list matching. This will result in a better process for travelers and greatly reduces the number of misidentifications. By adding date of birth and gender, the number of misidentifications is reduced further and can more readily identify passengers who do not pose a threat.

Bold Industry Commitment on Environment

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the airline industry is committed to achieving carbon-neutral growth by 2020.

“Two years ago we set a vision to achieve carbon-neutral growth on the way to a carbon-free future. Today we have taken a major step forward by committing to a global cap on our emissions in 2020. After this date, aviation’s emissions will not grow even as demand increases. Airlines are the first global industry to make such a bold commitment,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO in his State of the Industry address to 500 of the industry’s top leaders gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the 65th IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit.

The commitment to carbon-neutral growth completes a set of three sequential goals for air transport: (1) a 1.5% average annual improvement in fuel efficiency from 2009 to 2020; (2) carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and (3) a 50% absolute reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.

To achieve these goals, all players in the air transport industry are united in their proactive approach to the environment. A cross industry four-pillar strategy on climate change that is focused on improved technology, effective operations, efficient infrastructure and positive economic measures is delivering results. In 2009 the carbon footprint of air transport is expected to shrink by 7%. Of this, 5% is due to the recession and 2% is directly related to efficiency gains from IATA’s four-pillar strategy. “No other industry is as united. And no other industry can point to such good results and progress,” said Bisignani.

Bisignani noted that the airlines’ commitment needed to be matched by governments. “We are ambitious, but our success will be contingent on governments acting effectively. ICAO must set binding carbon emissions standards on manufacturers for new aircraft. A legal and fiscal framework to support the availability of sustainable biofuels must be established. And governments must work with air navigation service providers to push forward major infrastructure projects such as a Single European Sky, NextGen in the US or fixing the Pearl River Delta in China,” said Bisignani.

The commitment to carbon-neutral growth by 2020 recognizes that technology, operations and infrastructure improvements alone will not be sufficient to stop growth in air transport’s carbon footprint. “Positive economic measures are needed to bridge the gap until the full benefits of future technologies—including sustainable biofuels—are realized,” said Bisignani.

The timing of the industry commitment to carbon-neutral growth is significant, as governments prepare for the UN climate change meeting in Copenhagen (December 2009) and the post-Kyoto discussions. IATA reiterated its call for a global sectoral approach for aviation in the successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Under such an approach, aviation’s emissions would be capped and accounted for globally, not by state. IATA would work with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to ensure compliance.

For more information, click here.

At 11:00 p.m. PST on June 22, 2009, Clear ceased operations. Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc., was unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations.

How is Clear securing personal information?

Clear stands by its commitment to protect its customer’s personally identifiable information – including fingerprints, iris images, photos, names, addresses, credit card numbers and other personal information - and to keep the privacy promises that it has made. Information is secured in accordance with the Transportation Security Administration’s Security, Privacy and Compliance Standards.

How is Clear securing any information at the airports?

Each hard disk at the airport, including the enrollment and verification kiosks, has now been wiped clean of all data and software. The triple wipe process used automatically and completely overwrites the contents of the entire disk, including the operating system, the data and the file structure. This process also prevents or thoroughly hinders all known techniques of hard disk forensic analysis.

For more information, click here.

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) expressed disappointment to learn that the primary Registered Traveler (RT) vendor Verified Identity Pass, which operates the CLEAR Registered Traveler program, ceased operations. NBTA urged the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. airlines to revitalize the RT program to provide greater efficiency and security to business travelers.

Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP, NBTA President & CEO, said:

"NBTA has supported the Registered Travel program since before its inception and has pushed for improvement and expansion over the years. We believe this program allows for strong, safe travel and alleviates burdens that can hinder productivity while on the road. As the program’s primary provider ceases operation, we urge TSA, in cooperation with U.S. carriers, to keep the program alive and make certain it becomes a true risk-management tool for secure and efficient air travel.

NBTA is hopeful Verified Identify Pass will responsibly and effectively address the security of personal data with its subscribers, many of whom are NBTA members. We extend our support to RT travelers throughout the nation and stand ready to facilitate concerns and adjustments as they arise."

For more information, click here.

Business Travel magazine has released its annual reader’s choice awards. Hotels that garnered top recognition include:

BEST HOTEL CHAIN

1st: Marriott

2nd: Hilton

3rd: Four Seasons

BEST LUXURY HOTEL CHAIN WITH NORTH AMERICAN LOCATIONS

1st: Ritz-Carlton

2nd: Four Seasons

3rd: Fairmont

BEST LUXURY HOTEL CHAIN WITH LOCATIONS OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA

1st: Ritz-Carlton

2nd: Four Seasons

3rd: Mandarin Oriental

BEST HOTEL FOR BUSINESS SERVICE

1st: Hilton

2nd: Marriott

3rd: Westin

BEST HOTEL FOR MEETINGS

1st: Hilton

2nd: Marriott

3rd: Courtyard By Marriott

BEST FREQUENT GUEST PROGRAM

1st: Starwood Preferred Guest

2nd: Marriott Rewards

3rd: Hilton HHonors

For more information and to see the complete list of recognized companies, click here.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched The Blog @ Homeland Security, a new addition to the Department’s web presence designed to increase transparency and facilitate the dialogue between DHS and the American public.

“The Blog reflects our ongoing commitment to communicate directly with the American people about the Department’s efforts across the country and around the world,” said DHS Secretary Napolitano.

The Blog will include frequent updates on the Department’s activities, including breaking news, public events and new initiatives.

The inaugural post, found at http://www.dhs.gov/theblog, features a video message from Secretary Napolitano outlining the Department’s five overarching responsibilities and an invitation for visitors to comment on and provide suggestions for The Blog.

American Airlines customers departing from Las Vegas McCarran International (LAS), Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) and Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP) can now choose to receive boarding passes electronically on their mobile phones or PDAs… Beginning September 14, 2009, North American passengers traveling to Guangzhou will be able to make the entire journey by air thanks to new service being launched by Cathay Pacific’s sister airline, Dragonair. Cathay Pacific’s flights from the United States will provide easy connections to the new Dragonair flights via its hub at Hong Kong International Airport…Continental Airlines announced the results of its January 7, 2009, biofuel demonstration flight; the biofuel blend performed as well as or better than traditional jet fuel, displaying an approximately 1.1 percent increase in fuel efficiency over traditional jet fuel in different stages of the demonstration flight. Overall life cycle greenhouse gas emissions related to using a biofuel of the nature used on the Continental demonstration flight are estimated to be reduced by 60 percent to 80 percent as compared to traditional jet fuel.… Customers traveling Delta Air Lines on international flights now enjoy the same in-flight experience on both Delta and its subsidiary, Northwest Airlines - the latest sign that Delta and Northwest are now one. As part of its $500 million investment to integrate the two airlines, Delta is standardizing its international offerings available on all long-haul aircraft featuring a BusinessElite cabin… Singapore Airlines will add a fourth daily flight between Singapore and Manila starting July 10, 2009. The increase from three to four daily flights, operated by the Boeing 777 family of aircraft, will expand capacity between Singapore and Manila, by more than 20%.

in April '09 increased to 79.1%, up .0.8 points vs. the running 12 month average of 78.3% and up 0.7 points from March’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, Algeria, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Georgia, Haiti, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mali, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.