June 2010
In this issue...

• Americans Face Difficulty Using Credit Cards Abroad
• DOT Proposes More Protection for Air Travelers
• July Webinar: Travel Management Solutions for Association Staff, Committees and Members
• The Electronic System for Travel Authorizations (ESTA) Program
• Demand May Be Up, But Hotel Rates Stay Low
• Column: Rental Car Firms Follow Airlines' Lead on Fees
• DOT: Long Tarmac Delays Nearly Eliminated in April
• Column: 10 Reasons Travelers Should Consult an Agent
• Tallinn, Estonia is a Great Value in Europe
• Vacation Hotspots by Diana Greer, Personal Travel Consultant
  

Americans face difficulty using credit cards abroad

Differing technology standards are causing problems for Americans who try to use their credit cards abroad. Cards issued in the U.S. continue to use magnetic strips, while those issued abroad are beginning to use encrypted microprocessor chips. Businesses are using payment-processing systems adjusted for the new standard, according to Jack Jania of Gemalto, a company that develops chip cards. (Source: USA TODAY)

Dot proposes more protection for air travelers

The Department of Transportation has proposed more rules designed to protect air travelers, which it says builds on its consumer protection strategy that started with a three-hour cap on tarmac delays. The new rules would increase compensation for any travelers bumped from flights, increasing compensation from $400 to $650 if you're bumped and then rebooked on an alternative flight that gets you to your destination one to two hours late. Compensation increases from $800 to $1,300 if you're more than two hours late on domestic flights and more than four hours late on international flights. The new rules also would allow air travelers to make and cancel reservations within 24 hours without penalty. The new rules would require full and prompt disclosure of baggage fees and compensation if bags aren't delivered on time. (Source: DOT)

July Webinar: Travel management Solutions for Association Staff, Committees and members

MacNair Travel's next webinar titled "Travel Management Solutions for Association Staff, Committees and Members" is scheduled for Thursday, July 22nd at 12pm EST.
President and CEO of MacNair Travel, Michael MacNair, says one of the focuses for the July webinar will be on supplier leverage for associations. "Non dues revenue can come from consolidating staff travel, non staff travel paid for by the association, and convention travel, and this opportunity is often overlooked," MacNair explains. "There are some secrets to developing systems to enhance leverage with suppliers while improving the control, data, and systems to maximize these opportunities." Small business programs and meeting agreements exist for most of MacNair's association clients and depending on the airlines they partner with and their volume, they earn free tickets, complimentary upgrades, lounge passes, and other traveler amenities. Finally, participants will learn how to gain control when managing travel and meetings during the association webinar.
To register for the free webinar on Thursday, July 22nd from 12:00 - 1:00pm EST, RSVP by July 21st to Rian Watson at rwatson@macnairtravel.com or 703-650-5256 and instructions will follow.

The Electronic System for Travel Authorizations (ESTA) Program

ESTA is a pre-travel web based authorization system for international visitors to the U.S. from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries. As a reminder, all travelers to the US (except from Canada) must either have authority to enter the US, whether via visa or via ESTA. ESTA info may be found here.

Application requires: traveler's name, date of birth, sex, country of citizenship, country of residence, passport information, criminal history, drug usage, and employment status.
Authorization Process:

• Apply at least 72 hours prior to travel
• Valid for two years from the date of authorization, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first
• Valid for multiple entries into the United States
• Most will receive an instantaneous response
• The traveler does not need to take the authorization to the airport
• ESTA status is automatically transmitted to the carriers once an application has been checked against law enforcement databases and a decision has been made
• Free of charge
• Travelers should be aware that unauthorized third-parties have established web sites for submitting ESTA applications to DHS on behalf of the traveler. These businesses and web sites are not endorsed by, associated with, or affiliated in any way with DHS or the US government.
  

Demand may be up, but hotel rates stay low

Hotel occupancy rates are improving, according to PKF Hospitality Research, which says rates will increase 3.4 percent this year. Despite this increase, PKF expects average daily room rates to drop 1.6 percent - on average you'll be spending less on your rooms. When the hotel business emerges from a recession, price increases lag growth in demand, according to PKF. However, PriceWatershouseCoopers projects that room rates will start to increase in 2011, after two years of declines. (Source: PKF Hotel Horizons, PCW Lodging Forecast)

Rental Car Firms follow airlines' lead on fees

Columnist Bill McGee says that while airlines have raised billions of dollars from ancillary fees in recent years, rental-car companies also have been charging their customers a range of fees, albeit more quietly. Avis, for example, has reported a 12% increase in domestic ancillary revenues. It's becoming increasingly difficult for travelers to determine the total rate of a rental car and the trend is expected to continue. (Source: USA TODAY)

DOT: Long Tarmac delays nearly eliminated in april

Airlines improved their on-time performance in April, according to the Department of Transportation, while nearly eliminating long tarmac delays that could result in massive fines. Flights arrived on time 85.3% of the time in April, an improvement of more than 6 percentage points compared with last year. And while April 2009 saw 81 flights stuck on the tarmac for three hours or more, the most recent statistics show only four flights exceeded the three-hour time limit this past April. (Source: The New York Times/The Associated Press)

COLUMN: 10 reasons travelers should consult an agent

Columnist Ruthanne Terrero offers 10 situations in which using a travel agent can mean the difference between disaster and a fantastic trip. For example, she explains how a room that is described as overlooking Rome can look and sound great on a website, but actually be 10 miles out with cab fare to and from the city significantly boosting the total trip price. Click here to read the entire article. (Source: Travel Agent)

Tallinn, estonia is a great value in europe says, tony torres, travel consultant

Courtesy Tony Torres

I just got back from a vacation in Tallinn, Estonia and I highly recommend it. Are you looking to visit Europe, but are turned off by the cost? Do you want to visit a great location that's off the traditional tourist track? Tallinn provides a great experience that provides the best of Western Europe and Eastern Europe in one place at an affordable price. English is widely spoken in Estonia, so there will be no language barrier. You can visit Tallinn for two or three weeks for the price of a week somewhere in Western Europe. Tallinn was a nexus of German, Russian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, and Baltic culture and it shows. Experience one of the best preserved medieval old towns in Europe. Whether you are looking for food from Germany, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Finland or even America or Japan, Tallinn has something for you. Tallinn has beautiful beaches on the Baltic Sea, affordable ferries to Finland, and is a short trip away from Latvia, Lithuania and Russia. You can fly into Tallinn itself or into Helsinki and take the ferry across to Tallinn. Contact your Personal Travel Consultant today at 703-836-1101 for more information on what specials we have for Estonia and the Baltic region. Visit MacNair Travel's Facebook page to view more photos of Estonia.

VACATION HOTSPOTS BY DIANA GREER, PERSONAL TRAVEL CONSULTANT

Courtesy Diana Greer and Mark Maxwell

Just a few more travel values available this month!

• Just back from Club Med Cancun! An all-inclusive resort located at the beginning of the Hotel Zone just 15 minutes from the airport. With United and Mexicana Airlines flying daily nonstop, you can be on the beach enjoying a tropical drink within 3 hours of departing Washington-Dulles. The restaurants are excellent offering buffet dining that changes its dining theme nightly with additional dining at Las Cazuelas offering Mexican Cuisine and La Pergol offering Tapas Specialty. The children's programs are excellent as well. Just give me a call at 703-650-5260 and I can help book your next vacation to Club Med Cancun.
• Amazing Dublin City Package - This is the city that gave birth to some of the world's greatest writers. Quaff a pint at an Irish pub, visit Trinity College, and Dublin Castle. Dublin vacations on select dates in November through early February are $399 plus tax. The price includes airfare from New York and a hotel for four nights. Extra nights are $50. Prices are per person, double occupancy. Upgrade to the centrally located Burlington Hotel for only $79 per person and get an Irish breakfast included.
• South Pacific More Accessible Than Ever - With miles of beautiful white sand beaches, the South Pacific is a fantastic destination. MacNair Travel is offering an air-inclusive package to Moorea. Six days/five nights in a four star resort and spa including transfers, breakfast, and a circle island tour for $1,579. Purchase by July 15, 2010, for travel November 15-20, 2010.
• Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley - Stroll the streets of Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire. Hike the ruins of an ancient city perched on the top of a mountain - the archaeological wonder that is Machu Picchu. Eight days, roundtrip air from Miami, daily breakfasts, sight seeing with an English speaking guide, taxes and service charges from $1,299 plus taxes for travel August 15 - November 30, 2010.
• Are you a horticultural connoisseur or just a lover of beautiful gardens? Visit the gardens and antiquities of Sicily with a MacNair Travel tour specially created for the American Horticultural Society (AHS). This is not your average garden tour. AHS has used its connections to arrange visits to private and public gardens and antiquity sights complete with lectures and tours. Have lunch with a prince in his palace; stroll gardens with the men and women that created them; tour with archaeologists, botanists, and ornithologists; and dine al fresco in the midst of private gardens. Hotels are all four and five stars, specially selected, and the tour is fully escorted. This 11-day tour, October 28-November 7, 2010, is designed for those with a true appreciation of the finer things in life. Contact Kathleen DiMeglio at 703-650-5262 for details and a brochure.

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

Click here to view previous InFlight Newsletters.
Please feel free to send comments or suggestions to our editor, Tony Torres, at ttorres@macnairtravel.com.