May 2013
In this issue...

Passengers May Now Receive Notification of TSA PreCheck Eligibility on Boarding Passes

Good news for eligible TSA PreCheck passengers! Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and US Airways are beginning to pre-notify passengers on boarding passes if they are eligible for TSA PreCheck. By notifying passengers of their TSA PreCheck status, passengers are able to better route themselves to the correct lane for expedited screening.

Delta and US Airways passengers will see "TSA PRECHCK" on printed boarding passes and the TSA PreCheck logo on mobile boarding passes. United passengers will see the TSA PreCheck logo on printed and mobile boarding passes. Some types of boarding passes may not support the TSA PreCheck notification feature at this time. Be sure to visit the TSA website for up-to-date boarding pass specifications. TSA PreCheck is currently available at 40 airports nationwide. Click here for more information. (Source: TSA)

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MacNair Travel Webinar: Travel Emergency, Risk Mitigation, and Duty of Care Considerations and Tools for Today's Challenging World

Security risks, safety concerns, travel related challenges, health concerns, kidnappings, political unrest, airline strikes, and weather challenges are a major concern for travelers and travel managers alike. How you handle these threats comprise your "standards of care" based on current legal requirements to provide a "duty of care" to your employees no matter where they may be performing work for your organization. A multidisciplinary approach and modern travel emergency management tools that top travel management companies have, along with the support of risk mitigation companies, are among the best practices that will be shared

Please join us for a free webinar about this topic on Wednesday, May 29th from 12:00 to 1:00 PM EDT, entitled "Travel Emergency, Risk Mitigation, and Duty of Care Considerations and Tools for Today's Challenging World" hosted by Mike MacNair, President and CEO of MacNair Travel Management and featuring guest speaker Mark Donohue, VP of Professional Services of iJET. This event is best suited for your organization's travel managers, security officers, and risk management team. Click here to register.

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How long is the security line at Dulles?

Greater Greater Washington recently published an analysis of the wait times for security at Washington Dulles International Airport. Using the systems installed last year at the airport to estimate wait times at each security checkpoint, the article looked at data for every five minutes over a six month period. The analysis found that the west checkpoint is fairly consistent with busy times generally corresponding with busy flight times. The east checkpoint, on the other hand varied a lot more. The checkpoint had very low wait times except during busy times. Greater Greater Washington concludes that most travelers will want to head to the east security checkpoint except during peak times to avoid long waits after checking the monitors for the latest status update. Generally, travelers will want to avoid the east checkpoint in the early morning, just before noon, and late afternoon. (Source: Greater Greater Washington)

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U.S. Customs to pilot online arrival/departure records

U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to launch online access to information on arrivals and departures of foreign travelers beginning soon. The agency will no longer require international non-immigrant visitors to fill out a paper Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record when arriving at airports or seaports. (Source: Government Security News)

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Trusted traveler programs can reduce wait times for passengers

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the growth of trusted traveler programs can help the department focus on real threats and "take some pressure off the wait lines at the airports." She added, "Our hope is that by the end of this year, one in four travelers will be in some sort of expedited traveler program." Travelers can sign up through the PreCheck, Sentry, Nexus, and Global Entry programs. Sentry, Nexus, and Global Entry will give you access to Known Traveler for all locations where it is available. You can also sign up through your preferred airline, but will be limieted to flights booked on that airline. American Express will reimburse platinum members who sign up using their American Express card and United will reimburse 1K members. (Source: Politico)

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Demand for air travel increased in February

Passenger demand for global air travel rose 3.7% in February as compared to the same month last year, the International Air Transport Association said. "February's performance was good news. Demand for air travel continues to rise on economic optimism and improved business confidence," said Tony Tyler, director general and CEO of IATA. (Source: Air Transport World)

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Hotels appeal to mobile workers with dedicated spaces

Hotels are launching workspace concepts to cater to mobile professionals. "We're really trying to transform the way people think about hotels," said Peggy Roe, Marriott International's vice president of global operations services. "We want people to think of Marriott as a place not just to come and sleep, but to work." (Source: CNN)

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Luxury hotels let guests customize amenities

Hotels are letting guests customize their room experience with everything from flower arrangements to pillows. The Hyatt Century City in Los Angeles lets guests select a free bouquet of flowers for their room upon arrival, while New York's four Library Hotel Collection luxury hotels let guests choose their own pillows, memory foam mattress toppers, makeup mirrors and coffee pots. (Source: USA Today/Hotel Check-in blog)

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Survey: Most passengers are not willing to pay for Wi-Fi

The majority of airline passengers do not want to pay extra for Wi-Fi, according to a Holiday Extras survey. The survey found 84% of respondents would forgo in-flight Wi-Fi rather than pay a fee to use the service. "There is undoubtedly an appetite for Internet connectivity on planes but price could be the stumbling block," said James Lewis, head of partnerships for Holiday Extras. (Source: TravelMole)

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Mobile usage is a near constant for many travelers

Taking a trip does not entail a vacation from mobile devices, with 98% of travelers surveyed saying they take their devices with them and almost 4 in 5 saying they use their devices on their trips "all the time." The survey by eMarketer also found that in flight, 4 in 5 travelers use their smartphones, while about 2 in 5 use laptops. (Source: eMarketer)

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Airline Updates

United, US Airways Delta, and American increase change. United, US Airways Delta, and American increase change fees Effective April 18, United Airlines increased its domestic change fee from $150 to $200. This change applies to all tickets booked after April 18th. US Airways responded by also raising its domestic fee to $200. Delta is also raising change fees as well from $150 to $200 for flights within the US and Canada. American Airlines announced in recent days that it too will raise its change fees by the same amount. However, American also offers its new Choice Essential and Choice Plus fares with reduced change fees. International change fees may vary depending on routing. (Source: CBS News, USA Today, US Airways, Delta Airlines, American Airlines)

Southwest to require cancellation for unused tickets to retain value. Effective for tickets purchased May 10th for travel September 13th and beyond, Southwest will require travelers to cancel their reservation if they are unable to fly in order to retain the value of the ticket. Up until this point, Southwest has not had any negative repercussions for failing to show up for a flight. This change will align Southwest with the major US airlines in terms of no-show rules. Most US carriers require cancellation before departure or travelers forfeit the value of their tickets. (Source: USA Today)

US Airways to add amenities for international travelers. US Airways plans to launch upgrades for international travelers this summer. In May, Economy travelers will receive complimentary wine with meals and headsets for flights traveling to and from Europe, the Middle East and South America. In July, Envoy travelers will receive new amenity kits from Red Flower, a line of botanical products. (Source: eTurboNews)

Airlines take to branding fare packages. Airlines are using branding to describe different levels of seating and service. American Airlines has debuted three brands for its economy offerings: The lowest is Choice; Choice Essential allows one checked bag, no change fee and early boarding; and Choice Plus has no-charge, same-day flight change, same-day standby, a premium beverage, and a 50% frequent-flier bonus. (Source: San Jose Mercury News/Tribune Media Services)

Carriers expand express services for VIP travelers. Airlines are increasingly catering to VIP clients while offering added perks to those willing to pay extra for them. American Airlines is one such airline that is appealing to elite fliers. Los Angeles International Airport, Miami International Airport, and New York's JFK feature private check-in lobby where American's VIP passengers are greeted by name and given preprinted boarding passes before being taken by elevator to the head of the security line. Delta has a similar service available at New York's JFK and Alitalia offers one in Rome. These services may be coming soon to an airport near you. (Source: Star Tribune/The Associated Press)

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Vacation Hotspots by Diana Greer, Personal Travel Consultant

Cunard Cruise Line with Three Extraordinary Promotions. Save up to $400 off airfare and enjoy a $400 on board credit plus free gratuities. Apply these three great promotions to fares from $1,359 sailing on the Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria or Queen Elizabeth on select voyages throughout Europe, from the British Isles to Iceland, the Mediterranean, or the sunny Iberian Peninsula. Immerse yourself in Cunard's unique legacy of tradition, personalized service and British hospitality.

Experience Africa Safaris & Wildlife Cruise.. Unrushed, unspoiled, up-close…Africa as it was meant to be seen! Enjoy three nights in Cape Town, three nights in Kruger National Park Area and one night in Johannesburg before embarking on your four night Safari Cruise ending with two nights in Victoria Falls. Priced at $8,995 per person. Book an African Cruise Package with MacNair Travel today and earn a free seven night European River Cruise in a French Balcony Stateroom! This is a deal too good to pass up.

A Quintessential Bike Trip through Napa & Sonoma Vineyards, Redwoods & Coast.. Enjoy world famous vineyards, forests of soaring redwoods, the dramatic Pacific Coast and quiet pastoral landscape for a remarkable week and an incredible ride. This trip includes off route wine tastings that enlighten your palate, gourmet meals, deluxe lodging and above all breathtaking sights in a remarkable place simply known as "Wine Country." Offered by Backroads "The World's #1 Active Travel Company" and MacNair Travel, this six day trip offers weekly departures through out the year with rates starting at $2,898.

It's Graduation Time! . Give your favorite graduate the "Gift of Travel". Contact MacNair Travel to receive a customized gift certificate for any amount or a customized travel package for any destination. For more information call or email Diana Greer at 703-650-5260 or dgreer@macnairtravel.com.

Call Diana Greer at 703-650-5260 or email her at dgreer@macnairtravel.com to book one of these Dream Vacations.

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Click below to check out our latest specials and deals or contact the Personal Travel Division at MacNair Travel Management at dreamtrippers@macnairtravel.com or call 703-836-1101 today!

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Please feel free to send comments or suggestions to our editor, Tony Torres at ttorres@macnairtravel.com.

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