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INDUSTRY NEWS & PEOPLE  June 2006
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A-1 Limousine Expanding Fleet
A-1 Limousine, based in Princeton, N.J., is adding a total of 65 new vehicles to its fleet over the coming months, bringing the total size to more than 350 vehicles. The additions include 50 2006 Cadillac DTS sedans as well as 12 extended stretch limousines and three super-stretch.
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AA Cabin Crews Now Accepting Cards For In-flight Purchases
American Airlines’ domestic and international flight crews are being equipped to accept credit and charge card payments for in-flight purchases of snack boxes, sandwiches, alcoholic beverages and headsets. The roll-out of wireless handheld devices, which operate using Windows Mobile technology combined with wireless data transmission, began in early May after successful tests in 2005.
Although the new service is being supported through an expanded relationship with American Express, the devices will accept most other major credit and debit cards as well. Receipts are available upon request.
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Abacus Unveils BAR Program
Abacus International has unveiled its Abacus Best Available Rates (BAR) program, which guarantees that travelers and travel agents will receive the best available rates from partner hotels. Hotels listed as taking part in the program include InterContinental Hotel Group, Marriott International, Millennium & Copthorne International Ltd, Raffles International Hotels and Resorts and WORLDHOTELS. More are expected to sign up for the program over the next six months.
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Accenture’s Electronic Billboard Unveiled At JFK
The Accenture Interactive Network (AIN), an electronic billboard and information service with touch-screen technology, is now in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport in New York. The screen, which is 7 feet high by 10 feet wide, displays ads and enables passersby to access the latest news, weather and sports. Two people can use the AIN simultaneously, according to Accenture spokesman Ed Trapasso, and the technology will allow for more users to be added.
Accenture installed a similar device at Chicago O’Hare in March. "Experience so far has shown that people queue up and wait their turn if they're interested in using the screen," say Trapasso.
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Adam’s Mark Implements Passkey For Group Reservations
Adam’s Mark Hotels, a chain specializing in meetings and conventions, has selected Passkey International as its online group reservation system. Passkey will be offered to meeting planners as an integral component of the Adam’s Mark meeting services package. Adam’s Mark will implement Passkey at properties in Denver, Indianapolis, Dallas, St. Louis, and Buffalo.
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Adelman Enhances Emergency Services For International Travelers
Adelman Travel Group, a Milwaukee-based corporate travel agency, has partnered with International SOS, a provider of assistance services for emergency evacuation, medical assistance, international healthcare and security. These services are available to all Adelman corporate clients. The new partnership complements Adelman’s current emergency-preparedness products. International SOS has a presence in more than 60 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.
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Advantage Unveils New Logo
Advantage Rent A Car, recently acquired by the ARC Venture Holdings investment firm, has unveiled a new logo, which will be rolled out in signage and other facility upgrades at its 280 locations worldwide. Besides 150 sites in the continental United States, the company operates internationally at 130 locations in 32 countries.
Alluding to "renewed momentum going forward and exciting new developments," CEO George J. Gremse says the enhanced logo "represents our brand for the future."
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Air Canada Restores Tango Fares To Agent Web Site
Effective July 7, Air Canada will reinstate Tango fares, the airline’s lowest fares, to its travel agent web site. Last month, Air Canada withdrew Tango fares from the agent web site and the GDSs. Air Canada continues to withhold Tango fares from the GDSs, claiming that their technology doesn’t enable GDS users to book certain Tango options, such as a lower fare if travelers don’t check in luggage.
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Air Royal Supports Jetworks
Air Royale International has signed an agreement to provide holders of Jetworks Corporation’s Z Card memberships with charter flights and ancillary services for travel throughout Europe. Air Royale will fulfill the service through its UK office. Jetworks’ ConciAirge department can help Z Card members with their immediate Europe-based flights, says Michael Hyde, chair and CEO of Jetworks.
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AirTran Computer Shutdown Causes Long Airport Lines
A overnight system turnover to install an upgrade to AirTran's internal reservation and airport check-in systems hit a snag on June 20, leading to flight delays and long lines at a number of airports, primarily at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, its base of operations. The conversion had been planned to take place between 10 p.m. on June 19 and 4:30 a.m. on June 20.
The airline began issuing updates on the situation early Tuesday morning and continued that throughout the day, cautioning passengers to allow more time than usual for check-in. By late that afternoon, operations were returning to normal although company spokesman acknowledged that it was still experiencing periodic outages.
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AirTran Reaches Agreement With Teamsters
AirTran Airways has reached an agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters for a five-year contract, effective June 1. The tentative agreement covers approximately 50 stock clerks at the airline's maintenance bases in Atlanta and Orlando. Membership ratification of the agreement is expected by June 15.
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Amadeus e-Travel Division Certified For Data Security
Amadeus has completed the Cybertrust Security Management Programme Perimeter Certification for its e-Travel corporate travel management division, which ensures that the solution meets the highest levels of security and protection from external infiltration. The certification includes elements that protect physical and human/administrative elements – the areas of a network which traditionally are most susceptible to viral and hacker intrusion.
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American Eagle Adding Service To Southeast Cities
American Eagle, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, will add nonstop service between Chicago O'Hare and three cities in the Southeast. American Eagle will add daily service to Columbia, S.C., and Jackson, Miss., and twice-daily service to Greensboro, N.C. All flights will begin on Sept. 6 and will be operated using 50-seat regional jets.
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American Express Starts Advisory Services Unit
American Express has formed a global advisory services unit within its business travel division. The new Advisory Services organization, which will span the division’s four operating regions, includes nearly 200 professionals from its policy and online adoption groups as well as its eCLIPSE and Corporate Meeting Solutions brands. Going forward, the new Advisory Services unit will perform all agreements with the eCLIPSE group.
Under the direction of 12-year American Express veteran Mike Streit, Advisory Services will globalize and integrate policy management, strategic sourcing and process management. All had previously been operated individually within defined geographies.
During his time at American Express, Streit has led the transformation of several American Express business functions, including tax and business services, global procurement office and global real estate.
Members of his team include Alison Galik as vice president of operations. Galik was with eCLIPSE Advisors when it was part of American Express’s 2003 acquisition of Rosenbluth International. Jay Roseman, who is credited with developing American Express’s suite of interactive meeting solutions, is Advisory Services’ vice president of sales; Frank Schnur Jr., previously head of American Express’s global consulting, is the new group’s director of strategy.
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ARG/US Offers Subscriptions To Emergency Response Kits
Aviation Research Group/U.S. Inc. (ARG/US) has added a subscription service to provide and maintain emergency response kits for flight departments’ responses to crash sites. The kits’ contents include Tyvek suits, latex and work gloves, flashlights, walkie talkies, extra batteries, calculator, pens and paper. As part of the service, ARG/US keeps the kits in ready-to-use condition and periodically checks to be sure that any contents with a shelf-life are replaced.
ARG/US offers two versions of the program: ASOS and ASOS Premium. Both provide the Safety Management System (SMS) Manual and the Emergency Response Manual, plus ongoing support through monthly newsletters, an internal audit program, Emergency Response Plan drills, and access to the ARG/US online safety library. Premium ASOS subscribers also receive safety oriented computer based training modules, safety meeting agendas, on-demand safety research and the Emergency Response Go-Kit.
Subscribers are given a 24-hour contact number in the event they need a kit, which will be shipped immediately to the accident site.
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American Introduces Remote Check-in
American Airlines has launched its AAdvance Bag Check program, a service that allows passengers to check in and drop off their luggage at remote locations for flights. The service is currently available at 34 locations, including McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Moscone Center in San Francisco and the Hyatt Regency in Dallas. Travelers can check in and drop off their luggage for their domestic flight up to 24 hours in advance at the AAdvance Bag Check station. Baggage is then transported to the departure airport, and passengers do not have to deal with their luggage until they land at their final destination. Passengers also receive their boarding passes, allowing them to go directly to security screening when they arrive at the airport. The cost for passengers to use the service at a hotel or convention center is $10 per person.
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ANA Completes Transition To Upgraded Service On U.S. Routes
Beginning July 1, ANA passengers departing from Dulles International Airport on its Boeing 777-300ER daily direct non-stop to Tokyo will enjoy seats based on a private-room concept in First Class and flat seats in its Club ANA business class cabin. In addition, ANA's new in-flight menu will include an assortment of traditional Japanese cuisine or an a la carte menu featuring a variety of western favorites.
In the economy cabin, ANA has installed new Premium Economy class seats, with 20 percent greater seat pitch and width than standard economy class. All levels of seating on the B777-300ER will have access to ANA@AIR, high speed Internet via Connexion by Boeing, and AVOD[1], Audio/Video on Demand entertainment system.
The launch completes ANA's transition to New Style service on all of its mainland U.S. routes.
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ANA Pilot Union Calls Off Strike
The ANA pilot's union, which had planned a 24-hour strike beginning at midnight on June 21, called off the plan, allowing the Japanese carrier’s domestic and international flights to be operated as usual on June 21.
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Anthony Travel Tracking Time Spent, Profitability By Project, Account
Anthony Travel has begun using Journyx Timesheet to track employee time on a per-project and per-event basis, which will give it detailed time data about each project and account, as well as an accurate measure of per-project profitability.
Journyx Timesheet provides real-time data about employees, projects and accounts, and shows them how employees' time is spent. Additionally, because the company services a number of collegiate and amateur sporting events, Anthony Travel uses Timesheet to learn which events require the most employee time. In turn, this information helps it measure the profitability of events by allocating labor hours and dollars spent to them.
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ARAMARK Survey Shows Importance Of Site To Meeting's Success
ARAMARK Harrison Lodging (AHL) has released the results of a survey in which 73 percent of the respondents, all members of Chief Learning Officer magazine's business intelligence board, say that the actual training facility was "very important" to the overall success of a meeting or conference. A total of 334 respondents entered the survey, a 25 percent response rate.
Participants also indicated that they proactively measure productivity benefits and/or success ratios as it relates to venue. The large majority of individuals measuring the benefits/success ratio do so by creating post meeting evaluation forms, surveys and questionnaires.
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Aramark To Reopen Facilities At New Orleans Convention Center
Aramark will open two restaurants, a food court and the kitchen at New Orleans' Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on June 20. The openings coincide with the return of large professional association conferences, including the Air & Waste Management Association on June 20 and the American Library Association National Conference on June 24. The announcement follows eight months of renovations, refurbishment and rebuilding of facilities that sustained damage from Hurricane Katrina and individuals seeking shelter in the convention center.
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Avis Adds Scooters To Program For Disabled
Avis Rent A Car System has begun a pilot program in Orlando and Las Vegas that will give customers the ability to rent a mobility scooter and have it waiting in the trunk of their next rental vehicle or delivered to the customer's location. Mobility scooters are four-wheeled, lightweight, battery-operated transportable units that are well suited for travelers up to 250lbs. The scooters are the latest addition to Avis Access®, the company's suite of products for travelers with disabilities, launched in 2003.
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BA Strengthens Codeshare Links
British Airways has completed its migration to Amadeus Codeshare enabling it to more cost-effectively support 10 partner airlines. BA has also implemented Amadeus e-Ticket Server, which forges electronic ticket interline links, with 40 airlines, including all of its oneworld alliance partners. British Airways partners include Aer Lingus, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, LAN Airlines, SN Brussels and Qantas.
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BAA, With Ties To US Airports, Attracts Spanish Investors
An investment group established by Spain's Ferrovial Infraestructuras has acquired 150 million shares of the UK's BAA airport management company as part of its final offer to buy the company. Among BAA's lines of business is contracted operation of airport retail operations, including Baltimore/Washington, Boston Logan and Pittsburgh international airports.
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BCD Network At 96 Countries
BCD Travel has grown its international network to 96 countries, including JSC Aeroclub in Russia; China’s Jebsen Travel, Toptour Corporation in Japan, Sydney Express in Australia and Williment Travel in New Zealand. BCD has also announced that it will become a marketing partner of Verified ID, offering customers discounted registration in the Clear program for quick passage through airport security.
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BCD Travel Makes Consulting Services A Separate Business Unit
BCD Travel has spun off its consulting practice from its global sales division to create a separate new business unit under the direction of Mary Ellen George.
Formerly the head of BCD’s global sales and professional services division, George will now hold the title executive vice president of global consulting.
BCD Travel’s global consulting practice will offer comprehensive, integrated solutions focused on process engineering, compliance management and performance measurement, all tailored to each client’s specific requirements.
The decision to create a separate consulting group was driven by growing client demand for a complete range of analytical services that extend beyond the traditional components of air, car and hotel, according to Mike Buckman, CEO of BCD Travel.
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British Airways Acknowledges Price Fixing Investigation
British Airways says it is assisting in an investigation by the UK's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for alleged cartel activity in relation to pricing of passenger air transportation, including fuel surcharges. The BA announcement does not name the other airlines involved, but BBA reports also name Virgin and American Airlines.
The airline says Martin George, its commercial director, and Iain Burns, its head of communications, have been given a leave of absence during the investigation.
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British Airways Introduces New Baggage Policy
Starting July 5, all British Airways passengers will be able to carry one standard-sized bag and one briefcase, laptop computer bag or equivalent on all flights. Weight restrictions will be removed for hand baggage, but flyers must be able to lift their bag unaided into the overhead lockers of the aircraft. The briefcase, laptop computer bag or equivalent must fit under the seat in front of the passenger.
The airline is also standardizing its excess-baggage charges, starting Oct. 11. Bags that exceed a customer’s free checked-in-baggage allowance will be charged at a fixed fee. The charges will apply to all customers and are dependent on journey length. In the majority of cases, British Airways says, the new charges will be less than those currently levied by the airline. British Airways is offering its customers the option to pre-pay for their excess baggage online before arriving at the departure airport, which would save them 20 percent.
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BSI Adds Maps, Cab Fare Calculator To Online Booking Tool
BSI, a U.K.-based conference management and solutions company, has added enhanced maps of destinations and local taxi fare estimates to BSI Direct, its online booking tool.
Every customer is to be sent a high-specification, electronic map with their confirmation of each booking. The new maps follow an agreement with online mapping service Multimap, but BSI will add hotels, airports, train stations, car parks and the traveler’s closest office.
To accompany the maps, BSI can now calculate approximate taxi fares using information provided by regional taxi companies. The estimated fare is calculated between a traveler’s point of arrival (such as an airport or train station) and destination hotel.
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BTC, ACTA Plan June 13 Summit On Air Canada's Removal Of Tango Fares
Registration closes at end-of-day on June 9 for the free June 13 summit meeting addressing issues raised by Air Canada's decision to withdraw its low-fare Tango inventory from global distribution systems. Co-sponsors are the Business Travel Coalition and the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies. (One sponsor was incorrectly identified in last week's Redlines. We apologize for the confusion.)
Air Canada removed the fares from the GDSs as well as its own travel agent site on May 2, without forewarning. While there is no conference fee, registration online (at http://btcweb.biz/ac.htm) is required as seating will be limited.
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Business JetClass Launches Specialist Program
Business JetClass, a marketer and distributor of private jet charter, has created a Private Jet Specialist Program, a series of five 30-minute web-based seminars designed to teach travel agents how to tap into the private charter business. The subscription price is $250, which is refunded when the first flown charter is booked through the Business JetClass automated distribution system.
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CO Continues EU Expansion
Continental Airlines has inaugurated daily nonstop service to Copenhagen, Denmark; Barcelona, Spain; and Cologne/Bonn, Germany. The new routes all operate from the airline’s hub at Newark Liberty International Airport, and are part of a transatlantic service expansion that now stands at 28 European destinations.
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Carey Hires Online Watchdog To Guard Brand
Carey International has signed an agreement with Cyveillance to protect the company's brand on the Internet. Carey said Cyveillance’s brand-protection technology enables it to defend against online brand abuse, including misleading or fraudulent search-engine marketing, Internet traffic diversion and other brand-dilution tactics.
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Carlson Hotels To Reflag New York’s Martinique
Carlson Hotels Worldwide is expanding its portfolio in New York with the reflagging of a 532-room hotel. The hotel, formerly known as The Martinque, is undergoing a $10 million renovation that is touching public spaces and guest rooms. The hotel will become the Radisson Hotel Martinique on July 1. The hotel is located on the corner of Broadway and 32nd Street, minutes from the Empire State Building, Herald Square, Madison Square Garden and Penn Station.
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CharterX Buys Aviation Safety Auditor Wyvern
CharterX Corp., a Portland, Ore.-based online distributor of air charter services, has acquired Wyvern Consulting, a New Jersey-based provider of aviation safety auditing, consulting and information services. Together the companies will deliver Safety Intelligence, an information system providing in-depth safety analysis to air charter buyers worldwide.
While working with CharterX to deliver safety information services, Wyvern will continue to operate as a separate entity, providing ongoing operator, aircraft and crew analysis and consulting services. Walter D. Lamon, founder of Wyvern, will continue as president.
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China Southern Helps KLM Reach Deeper Into China
China Southern Airlines has reached an expanded pact with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - as well as Sichuan Airlines - to offer new routes and additional frequencies in China and Europe including connecting flights between Amsterdam and Chengdu, Beijing and Shanghai.
Effectively immediately, KLM will offer passengers codeshare connections with Sichuan Airlines from its new Chengdu destination to the cities of Beijing, Chongqing, Kunming and Xian. Starting June 24, the airlines will expand codesharing to include Jinan, Nanning, Urumqi, Xining and Yanji.
Sichuan Airlines is a regional carrier in which China Southern holds a minority interest.
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China Southern Makes L.A.-Guangzhou Service Daily
China Southern Airlines expands its Boeing 777 service between Los Angeles and Guangzhou to a daily operation today. Service between the two cities is operated by China Southern under a codeshare with Delta.
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China Southern On Track For SkyTeam Membership
China Southern Airlines has signed a Global Airline Alliance Adherence Agreement, which will lead to full membership in the SkyTeam alliance. China Southern anticipates that integration of its computer systems and frequent-flyer programs will be completed and membership granted into SkyTeam in the latter half of 2007.
Other members of the SkyTeam alliance include Delta, Continental and Northwest.
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Conrad Chicago Opens
The Conrad Chicago, formerly the Le Meridien Chicago, has opened. The hotel is undergoing a series of enhancements in all 311 guest rooms and 33 suites that will be completed by October.
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Continental Orders More Aircraft To Achieve Growth Plans
Continental Airlines has ordered 10 more Boeing 787 Dreamliners, bringing its total order to 20 and making it the largest U.S. customer for Boeing's newest widebody aircraft. The company also will acquire 24 more Boeing Next-Generation 737 (737NG) aircraft, bringing its total of that particular aircraft to 213 when all deliveries are made.
The Dreamliner figures prominently in Continental's strategy for continued international growth. The 737NGs will provide flexibility the airline's fleet grows and replaces its older, less efficient 737s.
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Continental Signs Five-year Deal With Galileo
Galileo International has negotiated a five-year, full content agreement with Continental Airlines. Through the agreement, all of Continental's published fares and inventory will be available to all users of the Galileo GDS system including Galileo-connected travel agencies, corporate customers and Cendant TDS online agencies booking through Galileo. CheapTickets, a subsidiary of Cendant Corp. as is Galileo, also executed a new five-year strategic partnership that will give it access to Continental's full range of product, services and inventory.
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CWT Completes Antitrust Waiting Period For Navigant Acquisition
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) and Navigant International, dba TQ3Navigant, have completed (effective June 5) the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 in connection with CWT's proposed acquisition of Navigant. CWT's acquisition of Navigant, which is expected to close in the third calendar quarter of 2006, remains subject to a number of closing conditions, including approval by Navigant's stockholders, other regulatory approvals, financing and the closing of the recapitalization of CWT.
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Cornerstone Customizing Support Via New Professional Service Unit
Cornerstone Information Systems, a technology provider for corporate travel agencies, is launching a Professional Services division that backs its products and consulting expertise with customized support. The group provides product expertise and technical assistance before implementation, during the first weeks of product deployment and on an ongoing basis for long-term support.
Members of the new Professional Services team include James Dargan, a 22-year American Express veteran; Annette Steinbraker, who has almost 30 years’ experience working with technology to improve the reservation management process; Aaron Hosey, the “father” of iBank and an expert in data acquisition, consolidation and distribution; and Lisa Bernstein, a developer and former general manager of emPower Travel, a Carlson Leisure Group host-agency program.
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DayJet Names Initial Destinations
DayJet has announced that Florida cities Boca Raton, Gainesville, Lakeland, Pensacola and Tallahassee will be the first destinations for its point-to-point, on-demand regional jet service that it plans to launch later this year. The company is in final negotiations with fixed base operators and airports in each of the five cities to operate facilities. Within 12 months of launch, DayJet expects to fly to four additional destinations in Florida and 12 more across three Southeastern states.
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Delta Rolling Out Spruced-up Business Class, Recalls Furloughed Pilots
Delta Airlines is launching a refurbished business class on its fleet of 75 internationally-configured aircraft. The first four reconfigured Boeing 767-300ER aircraft are currently flying international routes with four more scheduled for completion by the end of June. The remaining 67 aircraft (internationally-configured Boeing 767-300ERs, 767-400ERs and 777-200ERs) will be refitted by summer 2007. The upgrade includes improvements to the Delta sleeper seat, new leather coverings, better headrests and tray tables, and in-seat laptop power outlets.
Delta is recalling between 60 and 70 furloughed pilots this summer as the airline restructures its network in the hopes of increasing revenue. The recalled pilots will begin training in late June and will return to flying for Delta in late summer.
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Dolce Sells Spanish Resort
Dolce International has sold its Spanish resort, Dolce Sitges, Inchydoney Partnership, an Irish private equity fund. Dolce will continue to manage the hotel, resort and conference center under a long term management contract.
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Dubai Investor To Revive NYC's Knickerbocker Hotel
Istithmar Hotels, a Dubai government-owned company, has bought the building that once housed the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York’s Times Square for $300 million. Istithmar plans to convert the building into a five-star, 300-room hotel. The Beaux Arts-style hotel opened in 1906, closed in 1921 and was converted into office space in the 1950s.
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El Al To Launch Nonstop Service From LAX
El Al will introduce nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport and Tel Aviv on July 23. The flights will operate three times a week, year-round, on Boeing 777 aircraft featuring personal TV screens at every seat in all three classes of service. Additionally, wireless Internet and live TV will be installed on aircraft serving the route. This is the first time that El Al has offered year-round, nonstop service between L.A. and Israel. In addition to the three nonstop flights, El Al will operate twice-weekly, one-stop flights (with no change of plane) every Monday and Wednesday on 767 aircraft.
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Emirates Adding Flights To Dubai
Emirates will introduce a new service between New York and Dubai via Hamburg on Oct. 29 this year. This service increases Emirates’ flights to Dubai to three times a day, as well as increasing capacity on its recently launched Hamburg to Dubai service. The flights will be operated on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in three-class configuration: 12 seats in first, 42 in business and 310 in economy.
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Eos To Add Second Daily Flight On N.Y.-London Route
Eos, an all-business-class transatlantic airline, will add a second daily flight to its New York-London (Stansted) schedule in September, in response to growing demand. Eos, which has been in operation for eight months, say it hit a break-even load factor of 70 percent in June.
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Expedia Add-ons Search For Lowest-price Auto Fuel, Airfares
Expedia.com has introduced its Gas Station Locator, which helps travelers locate the gas station with the least expensive gas nearest their rental car drop-off location. Found on the Expedia.com cars page, the Gas Station Locator features a drop-down menu of the nation’s top 50 airports and allows the user to search for relevant gas stations by city. Upon selecting an airport location, the user is presented with up to five stations nearest the airport with the current price of regular unleaded gas at each.
The Fare Alert is a downloadable tool that conducts regular searches on Expedia.com and automatically alerts users on their computer desktop when an airfare is found below their designated price.
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Expedia Customizes Corporate Travel For Canadian Market
Expedia Corporate Travel Canada is introducing an integrated reporting solution and advanced flight search tool specifically for the Canadian market. In addition, French language services – supported online and offline - are now fully available throughout the site, including web-based support resources.
The new reporting tools allow business travelers and travel managers to pull data from their entire history and conduct quick research and analysis from archived itineraries, travel and booking information. They Expedia CT’s reporting capabilities to more than a hundred reports, each with dynamic filters and controls, to facilitate the analysis of virtually every dimension of travel spending and behavior. The improved flight search interface helps travelers to be more aware of flight costs, airline alliances and time constraints, while streamlining processes on the agent side to keep Canadian Expedia Corporate Travel customers within budget and on schedule.
Expedia CT also has enhanced its flight search platform for all markets, enabling business travelers to search for flights with more targeted and detailed search criteria. New search tools target connection city, preferred number of connections, airlines within a frequent-flyer alliance and multiple traveler-preferred airlines. A graphical time slider enables travelers to adjust flight departure times to see the resulting schedule and price changes in real-time. Concise time windows display relevant flights within two hours of a traveler’s desired flight time. “Traveler-friendly” receipts for all online transactions can be accessed by both travelers and travel managers.
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EyeforTravel To Hold Summit In Chicago
EyeforTravel will hold its Travel Distribution Summit North America in Chicago on Oct. 4 and 5. Those who register before July 7 can save up to $450 on the price of their conference pass. The agenda covers business-critical issues in the areas of sales and marketing, distribution technology and customer relationship management. Plus, there will be keynote sessions on direct connectivity, search, corporate travel and the changing relationship between suppliers and third-party websites.
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Farecast Launches Fare Predicting Tool
Farecast has introduced a beta version of Farecast.com, an airfare prediction web site, designed to help online travel shoppers decide when to buy for the best price. The company says its patented fare-predicting tool shows whether the lowest fares for their trip are rising or dropping over the next seven days. Farecast.com also provides expected price movements, confidence levels and buying tips when customers search for flights. When they decide to buy, Farecast directs shoppers to airline web sites.
The service is currently limited to Seattle and Boston. Farecast says it will offer predictions for additional markets throughout the year and plans to have nationwide coverage by year’s end.
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FCm Travel Solutions Partners With Flytour In New Latin American Venture
FCm Travel Solutions has announced it is partnering with Sao Paulo-based Flytour to manage its new Latin America region. Flytour is the largest ticket issuer in Latin America with sales in excess of US $500 million — about US$ 220 million of that is generated by corporate travel. On behalf of FCm, Flytour Business Travel will sign agreements with six other countries in the region: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela.
Flytour president and owner, Eloi D’Avila de Oliveira, will be FCm's regional president for Latin America.
Flytour Business Travel has been particularly progressive in terms of online booking tools including the development of its own site Flytour.com which is customized to meet each client's travel policy requirements. The company’s impressive client list includes 3M, Areva, Avon, Braskem, Canon, Credit Suisse, Ericsson and Givaudan. It also has on-site client locations at companies that include Caterpillar, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Scania, Wal Mart Brazil and Wyeth Whitehall.
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FlightStats Adds Airline Performance Ratings
FlightStats has released a set of new information services on its free consumer web site:
* Airline ratings, which provide overall information about the on-time performance in the last 60 days of any airline, worldwide; plus overall performance on the top 20 routes (based on number of observations) for each airline (or a codeshare partner).
* Time-of-day performance ratings, showing both route level performance and performance of a particular airline.
The latest upgrades also include traffic conditions around the airport, and a growing number of free Google, MSN and Yahoo widgets and web downloads that make flight status and ratings available through any web site, portal or desktop.
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Flyte Tyme Named A VTS Preferred Provider
Corporate travel management company VTS Travel Direct has selected Flyte Tyme Worldwide as its preferred supplier for ground transportation services. Arrangements for Flyte Tyme’s services can be made through VTS’s agent network as a stand alone service or a component of a business or leisure trip.
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Frontier Looks To Add Mexico Routes
Frontier Airlines has received tentative approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation to expand its Mexico service by offering daily, nonstop service to Cabo San Lucas from Los Angeles, starting this fall.
In addition, Frontier also filed with the DOT for authorization to fly nonstop from its Denver hub to Guadalajara, Mexico, four times per week; to fly seasonally from San Diego to Cancun once a week; and to fly seasonally from Kansas City to Cabo San Lucas once a week. If Frontier is awarded the routes, service would begin in December.
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Galileo Facilitates Access To Gullivers' Content For Canadians
Cendant subsidiaries Galileo International and Gullivers Travel Associates (gta) have deployed G-Destinations, a web-based solution for Galileo-connected travel agencies in Canada, giving them desktop access to gta's database of 20,000 hotels, villas and apartments, 2,000 tours and excursions, 1,200 transfers, sightseeing tours, detailed travel guides, interactive maps and images available in 112 countries.
The flexible web-based solution displays available content in a simple, easy-to-follow format, allowing agents to quickly find the travel product needed, and providing agencies with new revenue streams.
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Gelco Enhances Imaging And Audit Services
Gelco Expense Management has expanded its imaging and audit services with the capability to audit either faxed or original paper receipts. Electronic receipt submission with fax imaging eliminates manual steps for travelers, allows for immediate online review by managers, eliminates postage fees and delivery time delays, matches receipts to expense reports and archives data for audits of internal data-control policies.
Gelco’s premium imaging service extends the features of fax imaging by also verifying the originality of receipts before imaging them. The service expansions are designed to increase process automation and streamline the submission and verification process for expense reports and supporting documentation.
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Global Hyatt Reveals Details For Extended-stay Brand
Global Hyatt has unveiled a new-build prototype for Hyatt Summerfield Suites, its extended-stay brand. Hyatt wants to create an atmosphere of "casual hospitality with a residential look and feel based on how people today live in their homes." Each suite will offer a large, residential-style living area, fully equipped kitchen, spacious bedrooms, a spa-style bathroom and extra space for personal storage. All suites will include a flat-screen television that integrates with laptops and other electronic equipment, well-equipped work areas and complimentary wireless Internet service. Self check-in kiosks will be in a gallery area, as will a business center. The Guest Kitchen Buffet will offer a free hot breakfast and gourmet coffee throughout the day. The hotels will also feature outdoor or indoor pools, fitness centers, gardens, grill areas and dining patios.
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GlobalStar Adds African Partner
The SA Travel Centre Group (SATC) has joined GlobalStar Travel Management, adding its 136 locations (including 30 business travel locations) on the African continent to the GlobalStar network. Locations cover South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Kenya, Mauritius, Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania.
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GlobalStar Survey Takes Pulse Of Consolidation In The Americas
Nearly 32 percent of travel managers in North America, and 30 percent of those in Latin America, say they have already consolidated their travel budget globally, according to research conducted for GlobalStar Travel Management by Airclaims International Transport & Tourism Consultancy. Another 32 percent of North Americans and 40 percent of Latin Americans say they are planning global consolidation over the next two months. Altogether, about 90 percent of travel managers in both regions consider travel budget consolidation either critical or important to their companies.
The figures were released at GlobalStar's recent industry forum in Buenos Aires.
In one year, his company has cut US$2 million in its travel budget, "simply by consolidating contracts with suppliers," reported Allan Traicoff, Shell Travel Manager North America. Traicoff was a member of one of the panel discussions presented at the forum.
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Gulf Air Realigns Fare Structure To Grow Bottom Line
Gulf Air has improved its pricing and revenue management, sales, distribution and e-ticketing implementation with the assistance of Sabre Airline Solutions' consultants. Typical of the project was a four-stage review of Gulf Air's pricing and revenue management with the intention of raising revenue per available seat kilometer. The Sabre consultants realigned the airline's fare class structure, ensured the competitiveness of Gulf Air's fares by using Sabre data sources, made the airline's overbooking and seat allocation process more efficient and trained Gulf Air staff to continue managing the process.
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Hilton Garden Inn To Make Debut In Germany
Hilton Hotels Corp. has announced that construction of a Hilton Garden Inn in Frankfurt, Germany is under way. The chain’s first hotel in Germany will have the usual amenities: complimentary high speed Internet access, remote printing and a 24-hour business center.
Hilton Hotels has been awarded a long-term management agreement for two new hotels at a Frankfurt International Airport site: the 314-room Hilton Garden Inn and a 247-room Hilton. Both are scheduled to open in the spring of 2009.
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Hilton Reflags Hotel Near Bellevue, Wash., Convention Center
After a multi-million dollar renovation, Hilton Hotels has reflagged the 353-room Doubletree Hotel in Bellevue, Wash., to a Hilton. The Hilton Bellevue is just steps away from Meydenbauer Convention Center. The hotel offers wired and wireless high-speed Internet in the guest rooms and public areas. The Hilton Bellevue has 35,000 square feet of flexible meeting and banquet space that can accommodate up to 2,500 guests.
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Hilton To Build Waldorf-Astoria In Orlando
Hilton Hotels Corp. plans to build a 500-room Waldorf-Astoria and a 1,000-room Hilton at Bonnet Creek, a resort development adjacent to the Walt Disney World Resort. The hotels are scheduled to open in the summer of 2009. The Waldorf-Astoria will be the first new-build property in the Waldorf-Astoria Collection, a brand launched by Hilton earlier this year. The hotel will feature the names food and beverage establishments at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, including Peacock Alley, the Bull & Bear, Sir Harry's Bar, and Oscar's. The two hotels will have a combined total of 145,000 square feet of meeting space, including 115,000 square feet in a conference facility.
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Holiday Inn Makes Pitch For Biz Travelers
Holiday Inn has launched a marketing campaign that asks business travelers to "Look Again" at the brand. Through independent research conducted by strategic brand consultancy Landis Global Market Research, Holiday Inn found that the four features most important to business travelers are free high-speed Internet, comfortable in-room work spaces, full-service meeting facilities and a robust loyalty program. Holiday Inn says it offers each of these core business amenities, but that research revealed most business travelers more closely associate Holiday Inn with its heritage as a family leisure hotel and amenities like the hotel pool. The "Look Again" campaign aims to make consumers think of Holiday Inn as a first option for business travel as well as leisure.
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Hotel Angeleno Opens
After a six-month renovation, a Los Angeles Holiday Inn has been transformed into the Hotel Angeleno. The revamped property is now a boutique hotel with 209 redesigned guest rooms, redesigned meeting rooms and West, an Italian steakhouse on the 17th floor that offers diners panoramic views of the city. The hotel is the first Southern California property to be operated by San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre Hospitality.
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Hotel Indigo To Open Six Properties By Year’s End
InterContinental Hotels Group says its Hotel Indigo boutique brand will open six hotels by the end of 2006, bringing the brand’s portfolio to nine hotels. The first Indigo opened in Atlanta in 2004; two more opened in the Chicago area last year (one in the city’s Gold Coast neighborhood, one in the suburb of Palatine). Hotels are scheduled to open this year in Ottawa, Canada‘s capital city; Houston; Dallas; Nashville; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Sarasota, Fla.
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Hotelzon Plans Tool For Corporate Hotel Booking And Compliance
Hotelzon has acquired a "strategic stake" in the Romanian IT consultancy ARoBS Transylvania Software. ARoBs and Hotelzon are currently developing Hotelzon Online, an online hotel booking tool with extensive content and efficient location search facilities. It will also give corporate travel managers flexible policy compliance features to help costs and improve control over corporate hotel programs as well as comprehensive online reporting tools. Recent benchmarking by one of Hotelzon’s global clients showed a 20 percent saving in hotel costs.
ARoBs has provided Hotelzon with support, call center services, and system development over the past two years that the companies have worked together.
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Hyatt Launches Loyalty-based Meetings Card
Hyatt is offering the Hyatt Meeting Savings Card, a stored-value card enabling companies and organizations to accumulate and redeem dollar-based credits toward future meetings at hotels and resorts in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. Groups can collect up to $2,000 in credits for each qualifying meeting held at a Hyatt through April 30, 2007. Groups can save up to $2,500 in credits per meeting when paying with an American Express Card.
Hyatt’s Meeting Savings Card is rechargeable per each eligible meeting held during the promotion. The credits can be used toward future meetings until April 30, 2008. Credits are earned in accordance with the level of paid room nights used during eligible meetings.
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Hyatt Plans Costa Rica Resort
The Hyatt Regency Azulera Resort & Spa will be part of the Azulera Resort Village, a $300 million resort community, in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The first phase of the project, the hotel and a Greg Norman-designed golf course, is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2008. The resort village will overlook Brasilito Bay on the Pacific Coast, 40 miles from the international airport in Liberia. The Hyatt Regency Azulera will house 214 guest rooms and suites dispersed in clusters of freestanding, low-rise buildings. Across the way from the reception area, meeting and banquet rooms will sit in a cluster around gardens.
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Hyatt's New Texas Resort Features 310,000 Sq. Ft. Of Event Space
The Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, located 20 miles from downtown Austin, Texas, has opened. The 492-room resort adjoins the 1,100-acre McKinney Roughs Nature Park and has a mile of river frontage on the Colorado River. The resort features Wolfdancer Golf Club, Spa Django, eight restaurants and bars, 60,000 square feet of indoor function space and 230,000 square feet of outdoor function venues.
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Indianapolis Holiday Inn Select To Convert To Crowne Plaza
InterContinental Hotels Group has revealed plans to convert the Holiday Inn Select Indianapolis Airport to a Crowne Plaza hotel in the fall. The 274-room property is nine miles from downtown Indianapolis. Among the highlights at the future Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Airport will be an indoor pool, a fitness center, a business center and wireless and wired high-speed Internet access in the lobby, meeting space and guest rooms. The hotel will undergo a $6 million renovation which will include enhancements to the building’s exterior, meeting space, lobby, restaurant, bar and guest bathrooms.
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JetBlue Steps Up JFK Service, Preparing For New Gate Capacity
JetBlue Airways has opened seven new gates at New York's JFK International Airport Terminal 6, bringing the low-fare airline's total gate capacity to 21,
and allowing it to operate up to 185 daily flights from JFK. This additional capacity will help the airline grow into its brand-new home at Terminal 5 once construction is complete by 2009.
Current additions to service at JFK include the addition of nonstop service to Nashville, Tenn., effective Aug. 31; and a fourth daily nonstop flight from Syracuse-Hancock International Airport to JFK, starting Nov. 1. New nonstop service from Syracuse to Orlando begins on July 20. JetBlue will waive the change fee for customers with existing JetBlue travel reservations between Syracuse and Orlando connecting through JFK may change their reservation to the new nonstop flight for the same dates of travel.
The new Terminal 5 will offer 26 gates, capable of supporting up to 250 daily JetBlue flights. It will feature comfortable waiting areas with free Wi-Fi, power outlets for laptops and cell phones, seating capacity for 100 at each gate and aircraft access via enclosed jetbridge. Customer concessions will include two newsstands and a variety of dine-in or take-onboard options. The new gate area is an extension of JetBlue's Terminal 6, accessible via convenient shuttle bus service.
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JetBlue To Fly To Houston and Tucson From New York
JetBlue will begin three daily nonstops between its home base at New York’s JFK Airport and Houston’s Hobby Airport, starting Sept. 7. Service will be operated with JetBlue’s Airbus 320, a 156-seat jet. Also, JetBlue will introduce daily service between New York and Tucson, Ariz., on Sept. 28.
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Joie de Vivre Remodeling San Francisco Hotels
Joie de Vivre Hospitality has unveiled its redesign plans for the Miyako Hotel and Best Western Miyako Inn, two properties Joie de Vivre owns in San Francisco’s Japantown community. The adjacent hotels will provide distinct interpretations of Japanese culture: from the traditional at the Miyako Hotel to Japanese pop culture at the Best Western Miyako Inn.
At the Miyako Hotel, known for its furos (deep soaking tubs) and rice paper shoji screens, Joie de Vivre will refurbish all 218 rooms and public spaces with new furnishings, decor and finishes. The 125-room Best Western will feature the bright colors, embellishments and styling found in Japanese anime, manga and street fashion. Both hotels will remain open during the $10 million renovation and repositioning of the hotels. Work is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2007.
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Kempinski Plans Seaside Resort In Croatia
The Kempinski Hotel Porto Mariccio, scheduled to open in 2009, will be situated on the west coast of Istria, a Croatian peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The heart of the resort will be a five-star luxury hotel with 250 rooms and suites and 390 residences (300 apartments, 90 villas). The resort will include a golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.
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LABACE 2006 Cancels August Conference, New Date Undetermined
The Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE 2006), scheduled to be held Aug. 10-12 at Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo, has been
postponed with not alternative date as yet published. The events organizers,
the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the Associacao Brasileira de Aviacao Geral (ABAG), attributed the cancellation to "a combination of factors, including significant issues related to an accelerated construction project at Congonhas Airport."
Ed Bolen, president and CEO of NBAA, says that the "hope to be able to announce new dates for the show in the near future."
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LAN Argentina To Launch Miami-Buenos Aires Route
LAN Argentina will begin operating a Miami-Buenos Aires route on August 15, with a nonstop flight that departs from Ministro Pistarini de Ezeiza Airport in Buenos Aires at 10:15 p.m. and arrives at Miami International Airport at 6:05 a.m. the following morning.
The flight will in turn depart Miami at 9 p.m. and arrive in Buenos Aires at 6:40 a.m. the following morning.
The operation of this new route will mark the incorporation of a Boeing 767-300 aircraft that is being added to LAN Argentina’s fleet.
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LAN To Unveil New Business Seats At NBTA
LAN Airlines is scheduled to unveil its new Premium Business seats and services at the National Business Travel Association International Convention and Exposition slated for July 16 to 19 in Chicago. LAN’s initiative represents an investment of more than $100 million.
During the next two years, all Boeing 767-300 aircraft in the fleet that operate long-haul flights between North and South America and within Latin America, will incorporate new full-flat, 180-degree recline seats. New down comforters and soft pillows create a bed experience. Dividing panels between seats offer privacy during the flight. In addition, the distance between seats will be increased to 74 inches, a 32 percent increase over the current business class.
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Las Vegas Monorail Offers Bulk Discounts For Meetings
The Las Vegas Monorail Company has added a bulk ticket discount program that will help meeting planners provide local transportation for event participants. The monorail runs the four-mile resort corridor, from the MGM Grand to the Sahara. One of its seven stops is the Las Vegas Convention Center, whose station has been equipped with wireless.
The discounts are available in single-ride, multi-ride, daily and multi-day ticket options. Packages start at 100 tickets for a one-day period, and can be expanded to up to 50,000 tickets per day.
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Marriott Opens In Newport News, Va.
The new Newport News Marriott at City Center has opened in Newport News, Va., in the Oyster Point Business Park. The 256-room franchised property will be managed by Crestline Hotels & Resorts. Guests can hook their laptops up to a 32-inch high-definition TV, then split the screen so they can watch TV as they write e-mails. The hotel offers more than 25,000 square feet meeting space with the 12,000-square-foot grand ballroom, 13 flexible breakout rooms and an executive board room located on the 10th floor.
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Marriott Unveils Lobby Kiosks For Airline Check-in
Marriott International has begun rolling out lobby computer stations with printers that allow guests to check in to their airline flights and print out boarding passes before leaving for the airport. When guests use the computer stations, they will be able to click on icons of the major airlines and be taken to an airline website to complete the check-in process and print a boarding pass. The service will be available at all Marriott and Renaissance hotels in the U.S. and Canada.
Installation has been completed at 32 hotels and will be available at nearly 150 more within the next two weeks, Marriott says. The company is targeting September for the check-in service to be in place at every U.S. and Canadian hotel, more than 400 in total.
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Maxjet Adds Third Plane
Maxjet Airways, an all-business-class transatlantic airline, has received delivery of its third aircraft, which will allow increased frequencies on existing routes as well as development of new service. Maxjet flies from New York (JFK) and Washington (Dulles) to London (Stansted).
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Maxjet Signs Technology Deal With Worldspan
Worldspan has reached a five-year global distribution and airline hosting partnership with Maxjet, an all-business-class airline that operates transatlantic flights. Besides making Maxjet inventory available to Worldspan-wired travel agencies and corporate travel departments at the highest booking level, Worldspan will operate and maintain reservations and departure-control systems for the airline.
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Microtel Has Busy First Quarter, Opens Hotel In Canada
Microtel Inns & Suites, a chain of new-constructed economy hotels, has compiled 31 executed contracts during the first quarter of 2006. Year to date, the brand has sold nearly 50 franchises. Microtel’s pipeline currently consists of a backlog of 169 executed franchise agreements and an additional 98 approved in-house applications pending execution.
Also, Microtel has made its debut in Canada with the opening of a property in Parry Sound, Ontario, 140 miles north of Toronto. The 64-room hotel features single, double and suite accommodations, plus a business center and meeting room. Amenities include free wireless high speed Internet access in all guest rooms and free local calls.
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Midwest Welcomes Final 717 As It Analyzes Future Fleet
Midwest Airlines has taken delivery of its 25th and final Boeing 717, marking the end of an era for the manufacturer, Boeing, and possibly the beginning of one for the airline. The sister to Midwest's newest 717 was delivered to AirTran Airways in the same West Coast ceremony.
Boeing is shutting down the plant in Long Beach, Calif., which was opened in 1941 for the production of warplanes, rolling out nearly 10,000 before World War II had ended. The 100-seat 717 was launched in 1995, when the Long Beach plant was part of the McDonnell Douglas company. What had been known as the MD-85 became the 717 in 1997 when McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing. Ultimately 156 of the planes were produced.
The 717s can be stay in service for about 30 years, says Midwest's chief marketing officer, Scott Dickson. The decision of whether or not that whole time will be with Midwest is probably years away. Right now, says Dickson, the airline is just beginning a fleet analysis as it contemplates "rounding out the fleet," which now stands at 56 aircraft. There are no drastic changes planned for the basic Midwest product, says Dickson: the gourmet meals, freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies and comfortable leather seats will stay. Among the changes that are being considered: facilitation of in-flight purchases using either passengers' credit cards or loaded smart cards purchased through airport kiosks.
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Names In The News 6/08//06
Benchmark Hospitality International has appointed Kanwaljeet "Rikki" Boparai as general manager for the historic Bedford Springs Resort, near Bedford, Penn.
Boparai was most recently director of operations at Benchmark’s Cheyenne Mountain Resort of Colorado Springs. The company has also appointed Mike Wilkins as director of sales & marketing for Turtle Bay Resort, on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.
BostonCoach has Mark Munoz as chief operating officer, responsible for day-to-day operations and strategic growth initiatives. Before joining BostonCoach, Munoz spent almost 20 years with DHL Express. During his tenure, Munoz held senior management, operations strategy and customer service positions. Most recently, he was senior vice president for northeast operations, responsible for 4,000 employees in 50 locations.
Christopherson Business Travel (CBT) has tapped Brandilyn Turner as a member of its back-up agent team for its growing list of "client dedicated" onsite travel offices. Turner's past experience includes posts with American Express Travel's large market corporate travel and executive business platinum travel divisions. David Cowley has accepted a position as a travel management specialist in CBT's onsite office at the State of Utah.
Crestline Hotels & Resorts has appointed Lyn Locke as director of sales and marketing for the Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort near Cumberland, Md. Prior to joining Crestline, Locke was the principal of Chesapeake Consulting, where he worked with hotels, as well as golf and ski resorts, in developing and implementing sales and marketing programs.
iJET Intelligent Risk Systems has announced that Elizabeth Doubleday has joined the company as vice president of marketing. Doubleday brings more than 15 years experience in communications, product development and service support for blue- chip companies, such as Saba and Ceridian Corporation.
Kor Group has named Peter Willis vice president, hotel acquisitions. Willis is based out of Kor’s new sales and development office in Miami and will focus primarily on hotel acquisitions and management contracts on the East Coast and in the Caribbean. Willis most recently spent five years as vice president of business development/acquisitions for Innkeepers USA Trust in Palm Beach, Fla.
Management Alternatives Inc., a business travel expense management consulting firm, has announced the addition of Steve Ridzon to the organization. Ridzon, who will hold the title of vice president, has been travel manager for American Express's business units since 1993. Prior to that, he held various operations and executive staff management positions with Trans World Airlines, Maritz and Business Incentives.
Northwest Airlines has announced that Barry Simon, executive vice president and general counsel, will retire June 30 for health reasons. Simon was diagnosed with cancer approximately a year-and-a-half ago, and has decided to leave Northwest to dedicate his full attention to his family and his battle with the disease. Simon joined Northwest in October 2004 after a long career at Continental, where he most recently served as senior vice president, international.
Passkey, provider of a group reservations system, has appointed Bill Oates, former senior vice president and chief information officer of Starwood, to the company's board of directors. Oates will also serve as the head of Passkey's technology committee.
SideStep, a travel search engine, has named John Robison senior vice president of engineering. Robison will be responsible for managing SideStep’s engineering team and driving the company’s technology strategy. Prior to joining SideStep, Robison spent 10 years at Yahoo. Most recently, Robison served as vice president and general manager of Yahoo’s Premium Services Infrastructure, playing an integral role in the development and support of Yahoo’s technology and business infrastructure.
The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida has tapped Mark Schwantner to be general manager. A 30-year hospitality industry veteran, Schwantner comes to The Renaissance from the Marco Island Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Marco Island, Fla.
Worldspan has appointed Brannon Winn to the position of director of airline distribution, Europe, Middle East and Africa.. Based at Worldspan’s Paris office, Winn will manage relationships with Worldspan’s airline customers throughout the region and direct airline business development. Winn has held management, consulting, analyst and sales positions in the areas of account management and strategic partnerships, merchant travel solutions, e-business and travel distribution.
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Names In The News 6/14//06
Ambassadors, an event management company, has named Nancy Chontos senior account executive based in Orange County, Calif. She is responsible for business development and will focus primarily on California companies with a concentration on Orange County business and automotive manufacturers. Chontos’ 20-plus year career in the meetings, group travel and incentive industry began as a travel director with Maritz Travel Co., which prepared her for a sales career at Maritz Performance Improvement Co., Business Incentives and Meridian.
Association of Corporate Travel Executives has awarded the Distinguished Fellow designation to eight presenters who were recognized by their colleagues for presenting the most effective educational sessions at the organization’s Global Education Conference in Atlanta last month. The new Fellows include, for the "Pandemic Preparedness Practices," Mark Kaelin of International SOS; Peggy Luebbert of the Center of Biopreparedness; Richard Martin of International Market Assessment Asia; and Mark Williams of IBM Consulting. For "Optimizing Hotel Spend in a Seller’s Market," winners were John Asselta of Partnership Travel Consulting; Maria Chevalier of BCD Travel; Brian Nichols of Deloitte Services; and Steve Richard of Marriott International.
BCD Travel has named Travis Tanner executive vice president of global sales. Tanner has been chief operating officer for the Americas at Sky Chefs since 2004; previous positions include CEO of Carlson Wagonlit Travel from 1993 to 1999. His appointment frees Mary Ellen George to focus on BCD Travel’s global consulting practice.
Benchmark Hospitality International has named Mike Wilkins director of sales and marketing for Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Most recently, Wilkins was a senior executive with the Centennial Service Group in Atlanta, where he created and managed charity and corporate customer programs for organizations, including The First Tee, Fortune magazine, The Meetings Group and Turnstile Publishing. Benchmark has also appointed Diana Wellman as director of conference services for Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs. Wellman joined Benchmark at Cheyenne Mountain Resort as director of planning, a position she occupied for only a few months before being promoted to director of conference services.
Dolce International, an operator of conference centers, has named Gerald Lampaert vice president of global information technology, based at its Montvale, N.J., office. Most recently, Lampaert ran an IT project management company that established the entire IT infrastructure for two new Dolce properties, Dolce Sitges, Spain and Dolce Brussels, Belgium.
EzRez Software, a provider of dynamic-packaging technology, has named Joe Lima vice president of business operations. Lima was a member of the launch team at Hotwire, an Expedia-owned web site, where he served in a number of management roles.
Global Hyatt Corp. has announced that Doug Geoga has resigned as president of the company, effective June 30. Hyatt indicated that Geoga intends to form a hospitality investment and advisory firm at that time. Mark Hoplamazian, president of the Pritzker Organization, a merchant-banking firm serving the Pritzker family (Hyatt‘s owners), will become interim president of Global Hyatt, effective July 1.
Jumeirah, a Dubai-based luxury hotel company, has appointed Francis Killory as vice president of development, Asia Pacific. Killory will be based in Shanghai, where the 338-room HanTang Jumeirah Shanghai will open in mid-2008. He has previously served in senior development positions with InterContinental, Meridien Hotels and Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific.
Millennium Hotels and Resorts, North America has announced eight appointments to management, catering, sales and marketing positions. At the corporate level, Yin Yin Wong has joined Millennium & Copthorne Hotels International as its new director of marketing for the Asia-Pacific region, and Jocelyn Austin has been named Millennium North America’s manager for marketing. At the property level, Mark Irgang and Jason Pallen have joined the Millennium Broadway Hotel, New York, as hotel manager and director of food and beverage, respectively. At the Millennium UN Plaza Hotel, New York, Alex-Raymund Gomez has been named director of sales and marketing and Carolyn Altieri has come on board as the property’s new director of catering. Jan McConarty and Gina Janniello have joined her team as catering sales managers.
WestJet, a low-cost carrier in Canada, has announced interim plans for its executive vice president of finance and chief financial officer position, which will be vacated with the departure of Alexander "Sandy" Campbell. The CFO role will be shared by Janice Paget, vice president, controller and Derek Payne, vice president, finance and corporate services.
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Names In The News 6/22//06
Aeromexico has appointed of Carlos Caso market manager of Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. He is responsible for developing business and leisure from Northern California and the Northwest to points throughout Mexico. Prior to joining Aeromexico, Caso was regional sales director for Mexicana Airlines.
Arlington (Texas) CVB has hired Brenda Scott as its new vice president of sales, services and marketing. She formerly was president & CEO of the Mobile Area CVB.
Barcelo Crestline has promoted James Carroll to the role of chief financial officer. Carroll previously served as the hotel company’s senior vice president and treasurer. Tom Baker, formerly senior vice president of owner relations, was promoted to executive vice president and chief investment officer. In conjunction with the promotions, both men will also serve in the same functions on behalf of Playa Hotels & Resorts, a company focusing on the acquisition and development of all-inclusive beachfront resorts in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Benchmark Hospitality International has named Thomas Barretta food and beverage director at the Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center in Glen Cove, N.Y. Barretta was most recently the director of food and beverage for the Oheka Castle Hotel & Estate in Huntington, N.Y.
Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation, a Boston-based provider of chauffeured transportation, has appointed Tom Rader to the newly created position of senior vice president of sales. Prior to joining Commonwealth Worldwide, Rader served as director of national accounts at Lightbridge, a provider of transaction-processing services to the wireless industry.
Global Events Partners, a worldwide partnership of destination-management companies has promoted Dawn Barbeau to vice president of sales for the company’s regional office in Chicago. Barbeau joined Global Events Partners less than a year ago as director of sales, Chicago. Prior to that, she has held management positions with Hilton, Starwood, Wyndham and Loews. Also, Gabrielle Etrog was hired as sales manager in New York. She is a graduate of Syracuse University and currently completing a graduate degree in tourism and travel management at New York University.
Interstate Hotels & Resorts, a hotel management company, has promoted Ted Knighton to president, hotel operations. He will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company's hotels in the U.S. and Canada. A 16-year veteran with Interstate, Knighton previously was executive vice president of operations, full-service division.
The JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, Calif., has named Dan Shaughnessy director of sales. Shaughnessy was director of market strategy/revenue management for three full-service resorts in the Palm Springs area: the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa and Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa.
PRA Destination Management San Antonio has named Beverly Hamilton as its account manager and Karen Fuini as its national sales manager. Hamilton’s focus will be promoting PRA San Antonio’s destination-management services to clientele, as well as helping to position the company for strategic growth opportunities in the Southwest. Hamilton was a corporate meeting planner for SBC Communications, known now as AT&T Communications. Fuini leads the creative design and implementation of all programs, events and activities on PRA clients’ behalf. She was formerly the sales and marketing manager for conference services at a university.
Preferred Hotel Group has appointed Craig Jacobs to the position of senior vice president, group sales. Jacobs has been managing director for Preferred Hotel Group’s Western region, which includes Hawaii.
Republic Airways Holdings, operator of regional flights for American, United, Delta and US Airways, has named Timothy Dooley vice president, financial planning and analysis. Dooley had been director, financial planning and analysis since January 2001.
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has appointed Lisa Fisher director of business development. Fisher will be responsible for the sales activities for insurance and pharmaceutical companies in New York and for all client segments in New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina and the New England region. Additionally, she will focus on developing the meetings and incentives market from the Eastern U.S. and Canada. Prior to joining Shangri-La, Fisher established the Eastern U.S. sales office for Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts as regional director of sales.
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Names In The News 6/29//06
Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC) has named Michael Premo as vice president of sales and customer relations. Premo will manage relationships with all of ARC’s customer groups, including travel agents and corporate travel departments. In addition, Premo takes over responsibility for growing ARC’s sales program in support of the company’s range of products and services. Most recently, Premo served as senior vice president, global network for TQ3 Travel Solutions. He has also held senior executive positions at Navigant International, TQ3’s parent company.
Benchmark Hospitality International has named Heidi Stone director of sales and marketing for Berry Hill Plantation Resort in South Boston, Va. Stone was most recently director of sales and marketing for the Doubletree Hotel in Richmond, Va.
Crestline Hotels & Resorts has appointed Jacqueline Hanna as director of sales for the 158-room Hilton Garden Inn BWI Airport, Maryland. The hotel is adjacent to Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Hanna formerly was corporate sales manager for the Baltimore Marriott Hunt Valley Hotel.
JAL Hotels has announced that Shosuke Machida has retired as president of its two hotel brands: Nikko Hotels International, a group of international luxury hotels, and Hotel JAL City, a mid-priced chain for business travelers in Japan. Mamoru Tsutsumi, who is currently senior executive vice president, replaces Machida, who had been president of JAL Hotels since 1999.
Karisma Hotels and Resorts, a luxury hotel group in Riviera Maya, Mexico, has named Ruben Becerra sales and marketing director, based in Miami, effective July 1. Since 2002, Becerra has been general manager of two Karisma hotels: the Azul Beach Resort Hotel and El Dorado Seaside Suites.
Morgans Hotel Group, a boutique hotel operator, has named Tim Miller chief branding officer and Jennifer Nellany general counsel. Miller served as vice president of brand management and openings at Morgans Hotel Group before leaving in 2004 to become founder and president of Alden Hotels, a collection of small luxury properties. Nellany joins Morgans Hotel Group from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson in New York, where she was a senior associate. She joined the law firm in 2000, focusing primarily on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions.
TAG Aviation USA has appointed Doug Schwartz, former aviation director for AT&T, as vice president of flight operations and standards. Schwartz is responsible for the safe and efficient operation of TAG’s managed fleet of corporate jets, as well as management and training of TAG’s flight crews.
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Navigant Stockholders To Vote On CWT Merger
Navigant International will hold a meeting of stockholders on July 12 for the purpose of approving the merger of Navigant and Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Navigant and CWT expect the merger to close in the third quarter of 2006.
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NBTA Adds Government Travel Forum To Events Portfolio
The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) and its Government Travel Group (GTG) will assume management of the National Travel Forum (NTF), a biennial event held for government travel and relocation professionals. The announcement was made today at NTF 2006 by Becky Rhodes, deputy associate administrator in the governmentwide policy unit of the General Services Administration's Office of Travel, Transportation and Asset Management. Rhodes is a member of NBTA and chair of its GTG advisory board.
The next NTF will be held in 2008.
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NBTA Offers Online Marketplace, Newswire For Chicago Show
The National Business Travel Association says it will offer both an online press room and an online business travel marketplace during its Chicago convention, July 16 -19. The NBTA Online Press Room will feature news submitted by exposition exhibitors prior to and during the convention, and is expected to be accessible next week.
The online marketplace will allow users to view product and company descriptions, schedule meetings with vendors during trade show hours, search a database of travel service providers and see product alerts for new announcements. Registration for the site is complimentary.
Both services are available via www.nbtaconvention.org.
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North American Airlines To Launch JFK-Nigeria service
North American Airlines will launch scheduled service between Lagos, Nigeria and New York’s JFK International Airport on July 17. North American, which is the only U.S. airline operating nonstop scheduled service between Africa and the U.S., will operate three weekly roundtrips.
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Northwest Establishes Boarding Lanes For Elite Flyers
Northwest Airlines will begin offering separate boarding lanes next week for its premium and most frequent customers at airport departure gates throughout the U.S. The new service, which will begin roll-out on July 3, will be available to members of Northwest’s WorldPerks frequent-flyer program who have achieved Elite status, customers flying first class, World Business Class and customers of the SkyTeam alliance who hold Elite status. Signs, stanchions and carpeting in departure gate areas will mark the new boarding lanes; qualifying customers will be able to board their flights quickly, no matter when they arrive at the gate or when they are ready to board.
The boarding lanes will be introduced in Detroit, Bismarck and Fargo, N.D., Phoenix, and Portland, Ore., then introduced at all Northwest loading bridge-equipped gates in U.S. airports within the next two months.
Northwest says the new boarding lanes complement its recently introduced open-boarding process, which allows customers to board at their convenience after priority is given travelers in exit rows and those with special needs. Northwest says internal studies have shown that open boarding reduces the amount of time it takes to board a flight by an average of seven minutes.
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Northwest, Flight Attendants In Discussions
After rejecting a contract last week that would have cut their pay by $195 million per year, Northwest Airlines’ flight attendants, represented by the Professional Flight Attendants Association, have agreed to resume talks with Northwest. The parties have set June 30 as a deadline to reach a deal.
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NYC Hotel Workers Vote Today On Labor Contract
The Hotel Association of New York City and the New York Hotel Trades Council have reached a tentative agreement on a six-year labor contract. The agreement was ratified by the board of directors of the Hotel Association and will be voted on by the union’s membership today (June 22). The membership is expected to "overwhelmingly ratify the deal," according to the Hotel Association.
The tentative agreement will cover more than 100 hotels in the city, but does not include Hilton Hotels Corp. Negotiations for Hilton hotels being conducted separately. The contract, which will take effect on July 1, will provide wage increases of 4 percent in each of the first three years and 3.5 percent in each of the last three years. The Hotel Association will increase contributions to the pension fund by 2 percent of payroll. Family medical benefits will be maintained throughout the life of the contract, with no premium-sharing or co-pays by union members. Workers will also receive an added sick day and additional vacation time.
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OnVantage's New EasyBook Offers Control Of Small Meetings
OnVantage has introduced EasyBook, designed to facilitate booking of small meetings and thus help corporations gain visibility and control of that area. Using such features as real-time search and instant rate quotes, corporate users are able to save time as they search for group hotel rates and availability, and book online through an interface also being used by travelers to book their individual itineraries.
Companies that are already using OnVantage's MeetingView to manage larger meetings can capitalize on pre-negotiated contracts that have already been set up with preferred suppliers and properties. Inclusion of small meetings into the automated process adds a new category of data to what's being collected, giving corporations added leverage in future negotiations. Corporations will also be able to use data on small meeting spend to leverage transient negotiations, points out OnVantage.
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Orbitz Enhances European Hotel Product
Orbitz has launched its hotel neighborhood matrix for some European cities. The matrix enables users to get map overviews of specific neighborhoods, search for available hotels in a specific neighborhood and sort search results. Cities covered by the matrix displays currently include London, Paris, Rome and Venice. Dublin, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Madrid, Amsterdam and Florence will be added.
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Pittsburgh CVB Changes Name
The Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau is changing its name to VisitPittsburgh. The primary reason for the change is to eliminate the historical confusion about what the organization is and what it does. VisitPittsburgh CEO Joe McGrath said, "So many people assume we own and operate the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Most do not understand that our mission is to generate convention, trade show and leisure travel business for the Pittsburgh region, and that we're the official tourist promotion agency of Allegheny County."
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Preferred Hotel Group Adds 52 Properties
Preferred Hotel Group has added 52 properties to its worldwide membership roster in the past two quarters. Preferred includes Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Preferred Boutique, Summit Hotels & Resorts and Sterling Hotels.
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Priceline Contracts With G2SwitchWorks
G2 SwitchWorks and priceline.com have reached a long term agreement that will give the consumer booking site access to G2’s faring, booking and fulfillment platform. Priceline is expected to establish its G2 connectivity in the second half of this year. The agreement gives priceline "an additional source of content and airline inventories," says its executive vice president, Chris Soder.
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Prism Group Forms Government Division
Prism Group, a provider of travel data analysis systems, has been approved as a contractor for the federal government by the General Services Administration. Prism will now be available to civilian and military government customers. Industry veteran David Wardell has been named director of government services.
According to Prism's president, Michael Whitesage, the company is pursuing commercial relationships with other vendors in the government sector to expand and enhance the use of its data aggregation and business intelligence systems within the federal community.
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Qantas Starts Vancouver-San Francisco Service
Qantas has launched seasonal, thrice-weekly service between San Francisco and Vancouver. Flights are scheduled to operate between Canada and the U.S., and onwards to Sydney, Australia, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from June 14 to Aug. 13, and Dec. 1 to Jan. 31.
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Qatar Airways To Expand Fleet
At a meeting between the airline and its pilots, Qatar Airways announced that its fleet of all-Airbus aircraft will increase from 47 to 54 by the end of 2007. The fleet will include three of the new long-haul Airbus A340-600 aircraft which Qatar Airways is due to take delivery of during a four-month period starting in July.
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Radisson Chain Whittled Down, Remainder Gets $500M Facelift
Since the start of 2005, Carlson Hotels Worldwide and hotel owners have collectively invested more than $500 million in renovation, enhancement and new construction projects at 100-plus Radisson hotels and resorts in North America. This figure includes projects completed last year, currently underway and those scheduled to begin in 2006. Eighty hotels that were not able or willing to make the investment required to meet the brand’s higher standards have left the Radisson system, according to Nancy Johnson, executive vice president and brand leader of full-service hotels for Carlson Hotels Worldwide, the Americas.
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Rearden Adds Airport Parking, Car Services, Event Tickets To Offerings
Rearden Commerce, which provides a travel-purchasing platform for corporations, has added airport parking, car service and event tickets to its network. The announcement is a precursor to an expected series of additions to the Rearden platform, which Dan Ford, the company's director of product marketing, expects to be paced at about three-week intervals. "We have more suppliers lined up than ever before," says Ford, adding that the company vets all suppliers before plugging them into the Rearden platform "to build a network of trusted suppliers."
The new car service offerings are being facilitated by Ground Travel Technology Team (GT3). Suppliers include Empire International, Carey International, DavEl, BostonCoach and Burgundy Global, which represents about 3,000 car suppliers worldwide. Event ticketing is being represented by several suppliers, including Global Sports Access, Ticketmaster and RazorGator, which specializes in sourcing premier sports and entertainment events worldwide. Park ’N Fly Network is the airport parking vendor.
Special potential exists for savings in event ticket expenditures, according to Ford, who estimates that corporations spend about $1B per year on the category. Most, if not all, of that is currently unmanaged, he says. But inclusion in the Rearden Commerce platform, which includes reporting and the option to enforce pre-purchase approval, will change that. In addition, he points out, the platform will give event planners the ability to purchase blocks of tickets for "a complete client event."
The new airport parking category also contains promise of additional savings. "Travelers may be paying twice as much for airport parking as they need to," says Ford. "Park 'N Fly has long negotiated corporate discounts," he adds, "but compliance has been difficult." The Rearden system inserts the often-overlooked decision about parking directly into the basic trip-planning workflow. The reservation voucher, complete with a map showing how to reach the parking lot, is printed at the time of booking. That early decision carries more than one advantage. While Rearden figures indicate that users usually save half or better for airport parking, the company also points out that airport parking space is getting scarce; reservations made ahead of time save travelers a lot of valuable time.
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Sabre Tool Details Greenhouse Emissions For Corporations
Sabre Travel Network has developed a product that enables corporate travel agencies to produce reports for their customers about the environmental impact of the flights they are booking. The Greenhouse Emission report is compatible with both Turbo Sabre and MySabre, the two booking tools connecting travel agents to the system.
Each report is divided into four sections detailing the number of air segments booked over a given period, the distance flown, the relative amount of fuel burned in kilograms and liters, the relative number of kilograms of carbon dioxide produced as a result and a breakdown of the other Greenhouse gasses produced. The reports can be prepared by department, cost-center, segment type or date.
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Sabre Unveils Airline Access Plan For Agencies
Sabre Travel Network has launched Efficient Access Solution, the foundation for its new portfolio of customizable end-to-end solutions for travel agents that promises "a balanced approach for addressing travel agents' requirements for full content and airlines' desire to reduce costs." To date, the carriers covered under the Efficient Access Solution include Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, US Airways, Northwest Airlines and AirTran Airways, all of which have signed minimum five-year commitments to providing full content. The program commences on Aug. 1.
Program carriers receive a discounted booking fee for reservations made by agencies enrolled in the program. In return, the airlines provide key benefits and protections to travel agencies participating in the program.
Travel agencies participating in the program agree to "certain financial terms" in exchange for such things as full content and protection from service fees that may be levied by airlines in the program. In addition, the program provides for continuing agency incentives for all program members.
Over the next 18 months, Sabre says it expects to "bring together travel reservation and client management tools, training resources, and community interaction into easily configurable and innovative new options" for managing and growing agencies' business.
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Singapore Places $4.5B Aircraft Order
Singapore Airlines has signed a letter of intent to purchase 20 Boeing 787-9s, with purchase rights for another 20 of the same plane. At current manufacturer catalogue prices, the value of the 20 firm aircraft is $4.5 billion. Deliveries will be scheduled between early 2011 and the middle of 2013, and will be for fleet renewal as well as for growth. In a standard three-class configuration, the jet can carry between 250 and 290 passengers. Singapore plans to deploy the aircraft on routes to northern Asia, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.
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SkyTeam Accepts Portugalia For Future Membership
SkyTeam has accepted Portugalia Airlines as its newest Associate Airline candidate under the sponsorship of Air France. Portugalia is expected to complete all joining requirements and achieve SkyTeam Associate Airline status by 2008. Its integration is expected to strengthen SkyTeam's European network and increase its connectivity to and within North Africa.
In the meantime, the alliance says it is seeing strong momentum in network development on a global and market level as China Southern continues to make progress on fulfill requirements for officially joining the alliance.
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SkyTeam Plans Consolidation Of Heathrow Facilities
Nine SkyTeam carriers have signed a memorandum of understanding with the British Airport Authority to co-locate their facilities in Terminal 4 at London Heathrow International Airport. By 2008, carriers with existing Heathrow service, including Aeroflot, Air France, Alitalia, Czech Airlines and Korean Air, will join KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which currently serves its passengers in Terminal 4. Aeromexico, Delta and Northwest will have the option to operate in this terminal should they serve Heathrow in the future. SkyTeam customers traveling through Heathrow will have access to 32 check-in desks, additional locations for bag drop-off, lounge facilities and kiosks for self-service check-in.
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St. Regis Planned For Puerto Rico
Starwood has reached an agreement with BBP Partners of Puerto Rico to build a St. Regis Resort and Residences at Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico. The resort is slated for a 2008 opening. The resort will feature 150 luxury suites with views from private open terraces of the sea to the east or the mountainous El Yunque tropical rainforest to the south. The resort will be 16 miles from San Juan International Airport.
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Star Alliance Members Sharing New Narita Terminal
Air travelers will have to learn a slightly different check-in procedure at Tokyo's Narita Airport, where 10 members of the Star Alliance has co-located in Terminal 1 and are sharing the same facilities. Rather than having passengers separate into different lines for each airline, those flying out of Tokyo on any one of the Alliance members will go to different terminal zones, according to what class of service they will be using. Additionally, more than 120 self-service units have been installed where customers of the member carriers can make use of the latest automated check-in technology.
Passengers traveling in First or Business Class, as well as Star Alliance Gold Card holders, can make use of up to six lounges – four ANA Lounges and two United Lounges (United First International and Red Carpet Club). Located in Satellites 3, 4 and 5, the lounges are conveniently positioned within easy walking distance to the departure gates.
Under the new terminal processes minimum connection times can be reduced from 110 minutes to 45 minutes for international flights; from 130 minutes to 60 minutes for domestic-international flights and from 110 minutes to 75 minutes for international-domestic flights.
Star Alliance members at Narita include ANA, Air Canada, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, SWISS, Singapore Airlines, THAI and United.
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Starhotels Offers Corporate Apts. In NYC’s Michelangelo Hotel
The Michelangelo Hotel in New York has introduced a line of luxury corporate apartments that are located adjacent to the hotel in a residential tower. The corporate apartments have kitchens, entertainment centers and spaces for work. Accommodations include studio apartments as well as one- and two-bedroom units. Rates start at $4,500 per month (plus taxes), depending on the apartment type, size and services required. Leases are available from one to 12 months and are tax exempt for stays of six months or more. The Michelangelo is part of Starhotels, an Italian hotel group.
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Starwood Reports Strong Interest In Its Two New Hotel Brands
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide says it has more than 100 deals in development for its new aloft Hotels brand, patterned after the W Hotels, as well as nine franchise applications for its just-announced "Project ESW" new extended stay brand.
The company plans to break ground later this year on aloft hotels at Philadelphia Airport and in Lexington, Mass. Starwood remains committed to having more than 500 aloft hotels by 2015. It is also pursuing deals outside the United States, where international developers have shown a keen interest in developing the new brand. Starwood is currently developing multiple prototypes for global markets and plans to have these complete by the end of the year. Starwood's international development teams are currently negotiating documents on a series of joint-ventures, as well as evaluating managed and franchised opportunities in such countries as China, Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, France and India.
The as-yet unnamed "Project ESW" is an upper-upscale extended stay product featuring sophisticated residential design, signature products and services — a gourmet pantry, extra large fitness centers and an active lobby scene. About 150 markets have been identified as target markets for "Project ESW" and Starwood anticipates executing at least 25 agreements per year over the next five years.
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Starwood Reveals New Prototype For Four Points
Starwood has unveiled a new prototype for its Four Points by Sheraton brand. Inspired by Shaker designs, guest room furnishings will have classic forms and simple shapes. All guest rooms feature the Four Comfort Bed; large workspace with ergonomic desk chair; 32-inch plasma television; recliner chair; and a free-standing armoire. In the bathroom, the traditional tub has been replaced by a glass-walled, walk-in shower. The traditional lobby has been transformed into a family room with a fieldstone fireplace, high ceilings and wood beams. Book shelves separate the lobby from the library, which offers seating for snacks and watching TV. The prototype also features a 600-square-foot fitness center overlooking the pool area, which may be open or enclosed depending on the locale. Meeting room space will be scaled to market demands. There will be complimentary wireless and high-speed Internet access in guest rooms and wireless Internet access in public spaces.
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Starwood To Manage Hotel Complex In Greece
Starwood will oversee hotel operations for the Astir Palace Hotel complex near Athens, Greece. The Astir Palace is a luxury resort on the Athenian Riviera, consisting of three five-star hotels, the Arion, Nafsika and Aphrodite. On July 1, the 123-room Arion Hotel and its 76 adjacent bungalows will debut as the Arion Hotel and Villas, a Luxury Collection Resort. Also converting in July 2006, the 162-room Nafsika Hotel will become the Westin Nafsika Resort. The 165-room Aphrodite Hotel will reopen as the W Aphrodite in 2008 after an extensive renovation.
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Staybridge Suites opens In North Jersey
Staybridge Suites has opened the doors of its largest northern U.S. property, located in Parsippany, N.J. The new hotel offers several unique amenities such as complimentary guest laundry and workout facilities, deluxe complimentary daily breakfast buffet featuring a rotating selection of hot items, Bridgemart 24-hour convenience store and a 24-hour business services center. In addition, guests will enjoy gathering in the hotel’s Great Room for evening "Sundowner" receptions three days a week for refreshments, light appetizers and conversation. The Staybridge Suites Parsippany also offers a boardroom for small meetings.
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TAG Aviation Moves Support Center
TAG Aviation USA has relocated its Eastern Support Center from Westchester County Airport to expanded facilities in nearby Rye Brook, N.Y. TAG Aviation said it has outgrown any single office space available at the airport and that its Eastern Support Center has grown by more than 50 percent over the past two years. That growth includes the addition of a 24-hour flight-coordination staff.
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TAP Portugal Starts Codeshare With US Airways
US Airways and TAP Portugal have expanded their Star Alliance relationship with codeshare flights between the U.S. and Portugal and other locations in Europe. US Airways’ code will be added on TAP flights departing Lisbon to Faro, Funchal, and Oporto (inside Portugal), as well on TAP flights operating between Lisbon and Newark and Oporto and Newark. TAP customers will have access to 11 destinations in the U.S. via US Airways transatlantic codeshare flights between Lisbon and Philadelphia. From Philadelphia, TAP Portugal will codeshare on US Airways flights to Atlanta, Boston, Washington (Reagan National), Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston (Bush Intercontinental), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Orlando. From Newark, TAP Portugal will codeshare on US Airways flights to Charlotte, N.C. and Pittsburgh.
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Thrifty Operation Moved In-terminal At Reagan National
Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group has moved its Thrifty operation in-terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. With this move, both the Dollar and Thrifty car rental brands now operate in-terminal at the major airports serving the metropolitan Washington area, including Washington Dulles and Baltimore Washington. Prior to moving in-terminal at Reagan National, Thrifty provided service to airport customers from its Jefferson Davis Highway location, which will remain open to serve local customers.
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Topaz Schedules Fare Construction Classes
Topaz International's Learning Center will offer beginning (Aug. 7 and 8), intermediate (Aug. 9 and 10) and advanced (Aug. 11) international fare construction classes in Portland, Ore. For class times, pricing and other details visit Topaz International’s website, www.etopaz.com.
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Travelocity Business To Open U.K. Service Center
Travelocity Business will open its first wholly-owned service center in Europe and plans to pursue local business in the U.K. this summer. As part of the effort, Travelocity Business will move its current U.S. multinational customers that use Travelocity Business in the U.K. from an outsourced facility to its own full-service fulfillment center in Amersham, U.K. The facility will act as a base for its European operations, supporting new business local to the U.K. in its first phase.
In the second phase, scheduled for this fall, the service center will support the corporate travel requirements of Travelocity Business customers that have offices in other European countries. The move follows the acquisition of lastminute.com by Travelocity in 2005, whereby Travelocity Business acquired the company's U.K.-based corporate travel offerings, Travelstore and First Option. Both offerings have been rebranded as Travelocity Business, with Travelstore now serving as Travelocity Business ’ local fulfillment center and First Option continuing to serve as a hotel reservations specialist that provides customers with non-GDS hotel content.
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Travelport Sale Edging Closer To Reality, Says Cendant
Cendant Corporation has announced progress in pursuing its alternative plan to sell Travelport, rather than spin it off, making a sale of Travelport the more likely alternative. Although there is no assurance that a sale will occur, the Cendant statement says that the majority of the net proceeds of a Travelport sale would be to Realogy and Wyndham Worldwide (its real estate and hospitality companies) to repay their indebtedness.
The announcement was made in conjunction with the launch of a series of investors' meetings concerning the spin-off the Realology.
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U.S. Helicopter Offers New York Service To Connecticut Commuters
U.S. Helicopter will add service out of Bridgeport Sikorsky Airport in Bridgeport, Conn., enabling commuters to fly to the Downtown Manhattan Heliport or JFK International Airport. The flight to downtown Manhattan from Bridgeport is about 20 minutes; the flight to JFK is about 30 minutes. The new service commences on June 26.
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UATP Adds Eastern Airways
U.K.-based Eastern Airways now accepts all Universal Air Travel Plan (UATP) cards as a forms of payment from business travelers. Eastern Airways will settle all UATP transactions through UATP Settlement Services, a low-cost, weekly settlement system that matches fees and air tickets electronically. The carrier operates regional flights to 18 airports in the U.K. and Europe.
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Uniglobe Adopts Amadeus Technology Platform
Amadeus has signed an agreement to provide a global technology platform to Uniglobe Travel for use by its agencies in Europe, Asia, The Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Using a common IT platform will allow delivery of a global standard of service more reliably and efficiently, and make the most of the members' local expertise, according to Gillian Gibson, vice president, multinational customer group.
The platform will be comprised of an agency desktop, a corporate self-booking tool and a quality control function that will allow Uniglobe agencies to constantly monitor the quality control of a client’s PNR while automatically and consistently searching for lower fares, seat assignments, and upgrade options.
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United Launches Codeshare With TACA
United Airlines and TACA GROUP have begun code-sharing. TACA serves 35 cities in 19 countries in the Americas, with hub operations in San Salvador, El Salvador; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Lima, Peru.
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US Airways Adds Service To Europe
US Airways has added daily service from Philadelphia to Milan, Italy and Stockholm, Sweden. The airline also has launched four weekly flights between Philadelphia and Lisbon, Portugal.
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Varig Employees Try To Buy Airline
A judge has approved the sale of Varig, Brazil’s troubled flagship carrier, to employees, if the employees are successful in securing a loan to make the first payment, according to published reports. Varig, under bankruptcy protection in Brazil, has been teetering on the verge of liquidation. It canceled 67 of its 180 daily flights on June 20.
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Visa, CWT To Offer Discounted Registered Traveler Memberships
Separately, Visa USA and Carlson Wagonlit Travel have struck agreements with Verified Identity Pass to offer discounted memberships for Clear, Verified ID’s Registered Traveler program. CWT will offer its corporate customers discounted registration in Clear, while Visa will offer it to some Visa Signature and Visa Traditional Rewards cardholders. Clear’s program provides members with a fast pass through airport security checkpoints by verifying their biometric information.
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VTS Acquires NJ's Oakland Travel
VTS Travel Enterprises has acquired Oakland Travel, located in northern New Jersey. Oakland Travel will relocate to VTS’s Mahwah, NJ, headquarters. The phone numbers and website will remain unchanged. Barbara Topp, president of Oakland Travel, will continue to work with Oakland Travel customers through VTS. VTS Travel Enterprises is the parent company of VTS Travel Direct, a corporate travel management company.
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W Plans To Open Hotel In Qatar
W Hotels anticipates opening the W Doha Hotel & Residences in Qatar at the end of 2007. The W Doha, which will be located in the West Bay of Doha on the Qatar Peninsula, is the brand’s second hotel planned for the Middle East following the W Dubai Festival City. Starwood, W’s parent company, will manage the hotel, which will feature 292 guest rooms (including 31 suites and 154 W Residences), multiple restaurants, an outdoor poolside lounge, champagne bar, event space and luxury retail space.
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Westin Breaks Ground On Jersey City Hotel
Starwood, along with the LeFrak Organization and Melvin Simon & Associates, has broke ground on the Westin Jersey City, a hotel on the Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City, N.J. The 26-story hotel, expected to open in the summer of 2008, will have 429 guest rooms, a conference center, a 10,000-square-foot ballroom, banquet facilities, a pool and fitness center and a specialty restaurant.
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Westin Opens Convention Hotel In Boston
The Westin Boston Waterfront, a luxury convention hotel, has opened. Located on the South Boston waterfront, the hotel is connected to the city's new 1.6 million-square-foot Boston Convention & Exhibition Center via a glass-enclosed skyway. In addition to the center’s 516,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, the hotel offers 60,000 square feet of meeting space and a 40,000-square-foot ballroom. The Westin Boston Waterfront is 17 stories with 793 guest rooms, including 30 suites. The two presidential suites encompass approximately 1,500 square feet and offer views of the city skyline and Boston Harbor.
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Worldhotels Adds Airline Partners
Worldhotels, a Europe-based hotel group for independent hotels and regional hotel brands, has added four international airlines to its portfolio of frequent-flyer partnerships. Air France/KLM, SN Brussels Airlines and US Airways have joined and will be followed by Alitalia on July 1.
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Wyndham To Be Built In Orlando
Wyndham Worldwide has announced the planned development of the 400-room Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Hotel and Spa at Bonnet Creek Resort, adjacent to the Walt Disney World Resort. The resort will become the centerpiece of a nine-tower vacation ownership resort currently being developed and managed by Fairfield Resorts. The design calls for a two-level spa, meeting and conference space designed for groups from 200 to 300 and shade cabanas equipped with televisions, ceiling fans, refrigerators and plush furnishings. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2009.
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iJET Unveils Pandemic Monitor
iJET International has launched Weekly Pandemic Monitor, a service to provide mission-critical intelligence for the pandemic planner and ensure complete situational awareness around the threat of an emerging avian flu pandemic and other global health concerns. The 24X7 service provides continuous reporting on key health-related developments around the world, including a weekly wrap-up of developments, trends and predictive analyses on where outbreaks are likely to emerge. A free trial subscription is available.
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JetBlue Links JFK, Portland, ME
JetBlue Airways has begun service between Portland, Maine, and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) with four daily nonstop flights. With this service, JetBlue will be the only airline to fly large mainline jets between Portland and New York. JetBlue is the second largest airline at Portland International Jetport based on daily seat capacity.
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Lanyon Adds Renegotiation, New Report Functions To RFP Tool
Lanyon Inc. has added a bid renegotiation function and expanded reporting capabilities to its Exchange for Business solution, designed for corporate travel departments in managing the RFP bid process.
The need for the new functions was identified through a series of interviews with travel management leaders across the Fortune 500, according to Chris Wichers, Lanyon’s COO. Other customer-driven enhancements are also being developed.
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Million Air Changes Name
Million Air Teterboro has unified all of its aviation services operations under the Meridian brand, the final step in implementing its evolution to a full-service provider of aviation services at Teterboro, N.J.. Effective June 1, the company changedits overall name and that of its FBO to Meridian Teterboro; the aircraft maintenance division is now Meridian Jet Center. Consistent with this, the company will adopt a new corporate identity system, including new branding treatments, logos and signage.
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NuTravel CTS Offered By ABC As Private Label Booking Tool
ABC Corporate Services, a provider of travel services to agencies and corporations, has formed a partnership with NuTravel Technology Solutions whereby under an exclusive, five-year agreement, ABC will offer its customers access to NuTravel’s Corporate Travel Solutions (CTS) booking tool, which is available as a private label service.
NuTravel’s service includes the usage of its private label marketing materials, a dedicated customer support staff providing implementation support (WebEx demonstrations and training classes), assistance in achieving adoption goals, and a full range of technical services and support.
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Radius Implements CRM Tool
Radius, a network of corporate travel agencies, has selected SureWare, a technology services provider for the travel industry, as a preferred supplier for its customer relationship management (CRM) solution. The SureWare CRM solution is designed for travel management companies to better manage corporate travel relationships, from acquiring new accounts and managing account implementations to providing the tools and information necessary to effectively support the ongoing service relationship. Radius will customize and roll out the SureWare solution to manage its multinational sales activities and worldwide supplier relationships.
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SkyTeam Adds 37 Destinations
The SkyTeam airline alliance has added 37 destinations to its summer schedule, including the high-growth markets of Central and Eastern Europe and Asia-Pacific. That includes 25 destinations never served before by SkyTeam but now part of the alliance’s network via the recent incorporation of Aeroflot. Locations include Krasnoyarsk and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the CIS, plus Minsk, Belarus; Odessa, Ukraine, and Katowice, Poland. Also new to the SkyTeam network: Billund, Denmark; Lampedusa, Italy; Pantelleria, Italy; Leipzig, Germany; Hakodate, Japan; Chengdu, China; Southern Pines, North Carolina; and Moncton, New Brunswick.
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Star Alliance Issues Dual Bids To Enter The China Market
Officials of the Star Alliance have confirmed their invitations to Air China and Shanghai Airlines, revealing a dual-hub approach to the China market that will bring the Alliance into two Beijing and Shanghai Pudong airports.
Once both Air China and Shanghai Airlines are full members, the Star Alliance network will encompass 20 members, offering more than 16,500 daily fights to 912 destinations in 160 countries.
Air China has a fleet of 176 aircraft, mainly from Boeing and Airbus. It operates up to 70 domestic and 36 international destinations in 22 countries and regions. It already has code share agreements with 18 domestic and international airlines.
Shanghai Airlines’ fleet of 42 aircraft — mainly Boeing but also including CRJ-200s, a Hawker-800 business jet and an MD-11 freighter — was serving more than 150 domestic, international and regional routes by yearend 2005. Its international destinations include Japan, South Korea, Russia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, plus cargo routes to Europe.
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Technology Innovations Powering Delta Upgrades At Several Levels
American Express has unveiled its new state-of-the-art PowerStop business center for passengers of the Delta Shuttle at LaGuardia Airport’s Marine Air Terminal. It is the airline’s and American Express’s first co-branded space. The center offers:
• Wireless high-speed internet access throughout the terminal;
• Connection to 10 workstations equipped with power outlets for easy workspace access;
• Four Apple iMac personal computers for quick and secure Internet access, as well as copy and fax machines;
• A VIP lounge and conference room for last minute meetings and calls.
In addition to PowerStop, the gate area will also be upgraded with new furniture and a complimentary magazine rack to provide additional comfort and convenience for passengers waiting to board their flights.
In broader-based enhancements to its services for travelers, Delta has added new functionality to its delta.com web site, including the ability to find the airline’s lowest fares for their preferred flights. Using its new online booking tools, travelers can create their own itineraries by first selecting outbound flights and then choosing return flights. Other features include options to:
• Choose a flight “anytime” during a particular travel day.
• Find flights up to three days before or after a requested departure and return date.
• See all the best deals for an entire month to destinations worldwide, in just one click.
• View prices to a specific destination for a month of weekend choices.
Additional enhancements planned over the next few months include the addition of foreign language versions, expanded PDA accessibility and online check-in for return flights that are within 24 hours of the originating flight. A planned upgrade to Delta’s flight notification system will enable SkyMiles members to sign up for their flight notifications on the web site. The service currently notifies customers of advanced schedule changes or canceled flights. Late this year, it will also be able to notify customers of delays.
Complete installation of self-service check-in kiosks equipped with passport readers is expected to be completed at major airports by the end of summer. By the end of the year, nearly 1,000 of the kiosks are expected to be deployed.
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Travelocity Business Launches Government Travel Service
Travelocity Business has started a program designed to help those who travel on government business to more easily comply with the Fly America Act and get reimbursed for their trips. Companies that use Travelocity Business can have their employees contact an agent to handle the complexities of researching, analyzing and booking government-related travel.
The Fly America Act requires that international air travel paid for by the U.S. government be flown on U.S. flag carriers in order for travelers to be reimbursed. The rule applies to government workers and government contractors whenever travel is financed by federal government funds. The legislation does provide for exceptions, such as allowing use of a foreign carrier when it is determined to be necessary. But the exceptions can be complicated and are often difficult for travelers to understand in order to make a compliant booking.
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TRX Forms Pro Services Unit
TRX, a provider of transaction-processing and data-integration solutions to the travel industry, has launched TRX Professional Services to complement the sales and implementation of its technology solutions. The goal of the unit is to advise TRX clients how to improve their operational efficiency, drive down costs and better utilize TRX solutions.
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Worldspan Adds Corporate Fleet Functions To Trip Manager XE
Worldspan has merged corporate fleet functionality into its Trip Manager XE management solution for corporate travel. Corporate Fleet is an industry-first inventory and reservations management solution for corporations offering scheduled service on private aircraft. As a result of the new integration, business travelers can quickly and efficiently book their companies’ flights through the same availability displays as commercial flights.
Business travelers are able to view and book company flights, including those located at non-commercial airports, when conducting normal flight searches through Trip Manager XE. Flights are identified in availability displays both by company name and a business jet logo, and traveler itineraries also reflect customized text for private flights. In addition, travelers can view aircraft type and the duration of flights, and the system can be customized to allow travelers to request special meals during the booking process.
Corporate travel administrators have the option to add a price to Corporate Fleet inventory, and can also charge a nominal fee to internal cost centers by adding a service fee to flight itineraries. With each booking, Corporate Fleet functionality decrements available seats on aircraft to help manage and control capacity.
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