Travel Blog

Hi Everyone and welcome to my travel blog. Right now with the concerns of hurricanes and tornadoes, I will try to keep you all as up to date. I will send it out via my blog immediately after I read it. Anyone with travel plans that needs assistance changing travel plans please call our office. We want all our clients to be safe, well informed and confident we are there for you.


  • 5/22/20099:43:12 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

    Summer Travel Season Kicks Off
     

     

    In what may be a good sign for the summer travel season, more Americans may go on road trips this Memorial Day weekend than they did last year to take advantage of discounted hotel rooms and a 39 percent decline in gas prices. In fact, according to AAA data, approximately 32.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home this holiday weekend, a 1.5 percent increase from 2008. The average price of a gallon of unleaded gas was $2.334 on May 19, compared with $3.80 a year ago, according to AAA.

    In addition to road warriors, there is more good news on the travel front: Domestic airfares are as much as 10 percent less than last year’s Memorial Day weekend and hotel rates for the summer months have fallen as much as 14 percent from a year ago after the deepening U.S. recession cut demand.

    So this may be the right time to go get your calendar and find out why you may have been holding off your vacation plans for the summer. Think of creative driving trips for your family, and find hotel packages that are right for them. Now is the time to take advantage of the great rates out there. 

    Have a great Memorial Day weekend…

  • It's Official. Wi-Fi on Every AirTran Flight!

    5/15/200910:02:34 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

     

    Every flight will be Wi-Fi equipped by Summer 2009!

    Now you can always stay connected to the World Wide Web, email, online shopping, social networking or the office on every AirTran Airways flight through our relationship with
    Gogo® Inflight Internet. AirTran Airways will be the first major airline to have our entire fleet equipped with Inflight Internet.

    Registering for Gogo is fast and easy. Once you create an account you can easily purchase a session on your next Gogo-equipped flight. Sign up now to use Gogo in flight.

    Pricing for Gogo Inflight Internet service aboard AirTran Airways flights is based on the
    length of the flight and type of device:
     
     
    Laptops:
    $9.95 - Flights under 3 hours
    $12.95 - Flights over 3 hours
    Handheld Devices (iPhone, Wi-Fi Blackberry):
    $7.95 regardless of flight length

    Everything the Internet has to offer is up at 35,000 feet for your surfing pleasure. And it's just as easy to log on in flight as it is on the ground.
    Wi-Fi on Every AirTran Flight!

  • New Air Security Measures

    5/11/20099:11:50 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

     

    What is Secure Flight
    Secure Flight is a program developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide for uniform prescreening of passenger information against federal government watch lists. The initial implementation phase of Secure Flight will result in the complete transfer of responsibility for passenger watch list matching to TSA from aircraft operators whose flights operate within the United States. The second phase of Secure Flight will result in the transfer of responsibility for passenger watch list matching to TSA for flights into, out of, and over the United States to TSA.
    How Does It Work
    Beginning on May 1, 2009 the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Secure Flight Rule will require you, at the time of booking any domestic flight, to provide your:
    • full name exactly as it reads on the government-issued I.D. with which you travel
    • date of birth
    • gender
    The same rule will apply to international flights at a date to be determined by the DHS later in the year.
    After matching passenger information against government watch lists, Secure Flight transmits the matching results back to aircraft operators, which are then permitted to issue boarding passes.
    This information will not be optional. Travelers whose reservations do not contain this information will not be permitted to check in online or via the airport kiosk, but must stand in line to see a ticket agent. Additional airport security screening and/or denied boarding may result.
    Secure Flight Rules Regarding Name
    The name on your ticket must match LETTER FOR LETTER what your government issued I.D. shows. If the name on your I.D. is "William Quincy Jones" then the name on your ticket cannot read "William Q Jones". Prefixes such as Ms., Mr., Dr. or Rev., and suffixes such as Jr. or Sr., are not allowed under Secure Flight, regardless of what is on your I.D.
    Passport Name vs. Driver’s License Name
    Please compare your driver’s license name with your passport name. If the names do not match EXACTLY, you have two choices:
    • either change the name on your driver’s license to match your passport, or
    • always carry your passport as your government-issued I.D. for both domestic and international travel. [Remember: you cannot change the name on your passport as it must EXACTLY match your birth certificate/marriage license.]
    Frequent Flyer Status
    If the name on your government-issued I.D. does not EXACTLY match the name of your frequent flyer accounts, you may not receive frequent flyer miles and elite status may not be recognized. The airlines are working on a solution to this, but may not have it in place by May 1st. To avoid any inconvenience, we highly recommend that you compare your government I.D. name with the name on each of your frequent flyer programs and in cases where they do not match, begin the process of changing your frequent flyer name today. The process is not automated, and the high volume of requests may mean delays in affecting the change. Information can be found at the bottom of the page for making these name changes. Please note that airlines require the frequent flyer to make these changes. At this time, hotel and car vendors do not have this exact name match requirement.
    Steps to Take
    In order to comply with the new rules, questions have been added to Travel-On’s traveler profiles requesting the required information. Beginning on May 1st, we will electronically transmit this information to the airline with each reservation. For security reasons date of birth and gender will not be printed on your Travel-On itinerary.
    To avoid potential inconvenience and disruption to travel, please take the following steps immediately:
    1. Decide what government issued photo I.D. you intend to travel with and look at your name on that I.D. Do not do this from memory – you may be surprised. Remember your name must EXACTLY match LETTER FOR LETTER – no exceptions. Prefixes (Mr, Ms, Dr., etc.) and suffixes (Jr, Sr, etc.) are not permitted regardless of what is shown on the government-issued I.D.
    2. Populate the gender data element in your traveler profile
    3. Ensure that your correct date of birth is listed in your traveler profile
    4. Compare your chosen ID name with the names on each of your frequent flyer accounts to determine which, if any need to be changed. In the event of a mismatch, contact the appropriate airline(s) to begin the name change process. Depending on the carrier, you may be able to make the change online or via email, while other airlines require a letter or fax.

    It is possible TSA will delay the start date of this new mandatory process. Please be advised, the information here is valid as of April 3, 2009, but as with any government rule or airline regulation, changes may occur.

    Thank you for your help in adhering to this new government policy. For more information, please visit TSA Secure Flight Program web site. If you have any questions, please contact your Travel-On representative

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