February 10, 2009
In this issue...

• Did You Know...? We've Got Your Back!
• Inc. Magazine: Corporate Travel Consultants Can Help You Save Money
• MacNair Travel in the News Regarding Ways to Make Travel More Effective
• Airfares Show Some Decreases
• Aer Lingus and United Airlines Announce Transatlantic Partnership
• Hotel Occupancy Rates Drop, Putting Pressure on Room Rates
• Avis Budget Introduces Satellite TV in Cars
• MacNair Travel Management Rolling Out "Cluster" Service Excellence Teams
• Washington DC Office to Relocate to Newly Expanded Headquarters in Alexandria, VA
• Pay for Your Next Vacation with American Express Points
  

Did You Know?... We've Got Your Back!

On January 15th, MacNair Travel sent out the following message: US Airways flight 1549 from New York LaGuardia to Charlotte has crashed into the Hudson River. MacNair Travel has searched our records and we do not have any passengers booked on the flight. News sources are reporting that all passengers and crew have been evacuated. For further information regarding US Airways flight 1549, please check your favorite news source or www.usairways.com.

We received many positive comments from customers regarding this broadcast. We've got your back! For those of you who do not have all of your travel consolidated in one source, did you know where all of your travelers were on this day?

Inc. Magazine: Corporate Travel Consultants Can Help You Save Money

In a column by Owen W. Wild, Inc. Magazine confirmed what MacNair Travel has been saying about the ability of travel consultants to save you money. Travel consultants have a distinct technological advantage over online travel websites because they have access to specialized booking systems that are not available on those websites. Good travel consultants are experts in finding the best fares available. When the economy is bad, prices come down for airfare, hotels, and cars as people cut back on travel spending. Consultants excel at finding these lower rates and can also take advantage of partnerships with consolidators who have access to cheaper rates. In a tough economy, travelers looking for ways to cut costs need to take a second look at their travel management company. (Source: Inc.com: Travel Consultants Are Your Best Weapon by Owen W. Wild)

MacNair Travel in the News Regarding Ways to Make Travel More Effective

Michael MacNair, President and CEO of MacNair Travel was featured in a column on January 12, 2009. In "Seek Ways to Make Travel More Effective in Bad Economy", the author discusses several recommendations made in a recent column for Meetings & Conventions magazine about balancing travel costs and staying in business.
Click here to view the full article.
(Source: Coloradoan.com: Seek Ways to Make Travel More Effective in Bad Economy by Jim Clark)

Airfares Show Some Decreases So Book Now to Stay Ahead of Your Competition

Domestic airfares are starting to slip. The average domestic fare fell to $428.29 in December from $525.63 in November according to airfare tracking company Topaz International's national database. The average fare for the fourth quarter was $497.69, down from $526.18 for the third quarter. Airfares had been climbing steadily throughout the year, hitting a high of $633.44 in June 2008 and trending subsequently downward.
(Source: Topaz International Monthly Airfare Index)

Aer Lingus and United Airlines Announce Transatlantic Partnership

Aer Lingus and United Airlines have announced the launch of service between Washington Dulles and Madrid. The new service will be available for sale beginning April 2009 and will commence daily operations beginning March 2010. The new partnership will involve code-sharing between the two airlines and will build upon existing relationships to take advantage of the new opportunities made possible by the Open Skies Air Services Agreement between the European Union and the United States. (Source: Aer Lingus press release)

Hotel Occupancy rates Drop, Putting Pressure on Room Rates

There is more room at the inn for US travelers, with the US hotel industry finishing 2008 with an occupancy rate that was 4.2 percent lower than at the end of 2007, according to hotel consulting company STR. The industry saw a decent start to the year, but became "extremely negative" during the past four months. Although occupancies fell, average daily room rates actually increased by 2.4 percent. STR says the hotel industry will stay at this level for the next few months, but will see some improvements in the second half of the year. Only two cities saw occupancy go up - New Orleans (8.6 percent) and Houston (2.6 percent). Rates actually went up in many major cities, including Houston (9.4 percent), Denver (6.3 percent), San Francisco (5.4 percent). Ultimately, declining occupancies are going to put considerable pressure on hotels to lower their room rates, according to Lodging Econometrics, which covers hotels. (Source: STR Global press, Lodging Econometrics press release)

Avis Budget Introduces Satellite TV in Cars

You can keep backseat drivers occupied with ATT CruiseCast, a new satellite television service that brings news, family, sports, comedy and music channels to the back seat of your car. Starting later this year, the service will cost $8.95 per day or $62.65 per week. It stores up to three minutes of content so obstructions such as overpasses or tall buildings will not interrupt a program. Channels include MSNBC, CNN Mobile Live, the Disney Channel, Comedy Central and many others. (Source: Avis Budget press release)

MacNair Travel management Rolling Out "Cluster" Service Excellence Teams

Starting in late February 2009, MacNair Travel Management's Corporate Travel Division (CTD) will be implementing small consulting teams called Clusters that include 3-5 Travel Consultants. One of our key initiatives for 2009 is "Service Excellence". To achieve this goal, each one of our corporate clients will continue to be able to work with a lead consultant, but when that lead is unavailable we will provide a smaller team of experienced consultants who are experts about your account to support you and your travelers.

Our Cluster Philosophy ~ As individuals we can promote, build and support great customer service. As a team we can build a shared commitment to achieve Service Excellence. We are looking forward to sharing more information with you about your Cluster in the weeks to come as we do a phased roll-out.

Washington DC Office to relocate to Newly Expanded Headquarters in Alexandria, VA

Effective February 27, 2009, MacNair Travel Management will be closing our Washington DC office at 1215 17th Street, NW, Suite 100 and transferring our entire staff and equipment to our company headquarters located at:

MacNair Travel Management/ American Express
1101 King Street, Suite 190
Alexandria, VA 22314

Note: Our client's current phone numbers will roll over to their existing lead agents and the closing should be transparent to you and your staff. MacNair Travel's President and CEO Michael MacNair explains the reasoning for this move:

"Over the years, our need to have a dual presence in the Washington DC area has become redundant due to less need for paper ticket delivery and vastly improved technology. These changes have provided us the ability to make a concerted green effort to save energy by allowing many of our consultants to work from home. In addition, the expansion of our company headquarters at our new location in Alexandria has allowed us to consolidate all business functions under one roof. This move will be completely transparent to our customers and will allow MacNair Travel to provide even better service in the future."

Pay for Your NexT Vacation with American Express Points!

MacNair Travel Management is one of a select number of travel agencies that can now book your cruise, land and air travel using your American Express Membership Reward Points. Our Personal Travel Division can provide you with excellent travel values to all areas of the world. Why not maximize your travel dollars by paying for all or part of your next vacation using your Membership Rewards Points? The AMEX Membership Rewards Payment Program is available with most American Express personal cards and some business cards. Contact the MacNair Travel Personal Travel Division today at 703-836-1101 to book your next vacation and to find out whether you can use your points for payment.

InFlight has a new format. Love it? Hate it? Please feel free to send comments or suggestions to our new editor, Tony Torres, at ttorres@macnairtravel.com.