By Harriet Baskas
Travel writer
MSNBC

Airline passengers are getting dinged for everything from checking a bag to upgrading beyond the middle seat.

As carriers nickel-and-dime their customers, it’s hard to believe they would offer a cool new amenity at no cost. But that’s exactly what’s happening. Several airlines with Wi-Fi-equipped airplanes are letting passengers try out the service for free.

Last Saturday, on her connecting flight from Salt Lake City to Washington, D.C., Pam Scott of Spokane, Wash., got her first chance to try in-flight Internet service. She surfed — for free — thanks to a promotion offered by Delta Air Lines and Aircell, the provider of the Gogo in-flight service. “Loving it,” Scott wrote in a message sent from the skies, “Nice to be in touch on such a long flight.”

Austin, Texas-based event planner Nichole Wright’s first taste of in-flight Wi-Fi was also free. She was on her way to New York City on business when a Delta flight attendant handed her a free pass. “I was thrilled,” says Wright, “and it worked very well; a huge time saver. I think I would pay for it in the future.”

Food blogger Alejandra Ramos would probably pay, too. Access to in-flight Wi-Fi was complimentary the day she flew with United Airlines from New York’s JFK airport to San Francisco. It was an extremely turbulent flight, so Ramos focused on e-mailing with her online friends. “I told them all about my nervousness and it was nice to have several dozen of them giving me their tips for staying calm while flying.”

Go here to read more.

By Rick Steves
Tribune Media Services

It was my last day in Athens after spending several weeks producing two exciting television shows on Greece. My brain was fried. I was concerned I was getting a cold, and I felt that getting sick was God’s way of telling me to slow down. Instead of heading out on a shoot, I ditched work and spent the day lounging poolside on the rooftop of my hotel. Thankfully, it worked. The next day, I felt recharged.

After 30 years of travel, I’ve figured out what I need to do to stay healthy when traveling. For me, wellness starts at home. An early-trip cold used to be a given until I learned this trick: Plan as if you’re leaving two days before you really are. Keep that last 48-hour period sacred (apart from your normal work schedule), even if it means being frenzied before your false departure date. You’ll fly away well-rested — and 100 percent capable of enjoying the bombardment of your senses that will follow.

Anyone who flies through multiple time zones has to grapple with jet lag. It’s simple to spring your wristwatch six to nine hours forward, but body clocks don’t reset so easily. After crossing the Atlantic, your body wants to eat when you tell it to sleep and sleep when you force it to go to the Louvre. You can’t avoid jet lag, but you don’t have to condemn yourself to zombiedom either. On the flight over, I eat lightly, drink lots of water, avoid coffee and alcohol, and minimize sugar. The in-flight movies are good for one thing — nap time. With two or three hours’ sleep during the flight, you’ll be functional the day you land.

On arrival, plan a good walk. Jet lag hates fresh air, daylight, and exercise. Stay awake at least until the early evening. You’ll probably awaken very early on your first morning. Get out and enjoy a “pinch me, I’m in Europe” walk, as merchants set up in the marketplace and the town slowly comes to life. This will probably be the only sunrise you’ll see in Europe.

As in the United States, Europe is also dealing with the H1N1 flu. Just be smart and heed the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, regularly wash your hands with soap and water, try not to touch your eyes, nose and mouth, and get vaccinated if the shot is available to you.

To stay healthy, it’s crucial to get enough sleep. Most people need seven to eight hours a night. It’s tempting to go, go, go while you’re in Europe. As if channel-surfing on a great TV with an infinite number of channels, there’s always something enticing beyond what you can comfortably experience. The best way to stay healthy is to pace yourself and know your limits. Rather than a marathon of museum visits, I punctuate my sightseeing with cafe stops.

Click here for the rest of the article.

By Kitty Bean Yancey, USA TODAY

American Airlines flight attendant Gailen David dreads the pre-takeoff ritual that’s becoming as irksome as taking shoes off at security checkpoints.

Passengers laden with carry-ons resemble a scene from Survivor or The Amazing Race. They scramble to stow gear before others fill overhead bins, drag bags heavier than allowed, slip aboard with more than the two items typically permitted — and clip seatmates while cramming in belongings.

Because the number of flights has decreased and planes are flying fuller, and because major U.S. carriers except Southwest Airlines and JetBlue now charge fees of $15 and up to check a bag, planes’ overhead bins are bulging.

“The worst we’ve seen in the past couple of decades,” says Corey Caldwell, spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C.-based Association of Flight Attendants. The Transportation Security Administration and carriers don’t track carry-ons, Caldwell says, “but many more people are flying on the average flight, and the bins are filling up faster than before.”

The problem has become so pressing since major airlines began imposing fees for the first checked bag on domestic flights in mid-2008 that Congress is considering legislation to limit and standardize carry-on size and ensure enforcement at TSA airport checkpoints.

“It’s a fight for the overheads,” says veteran flight attendant David, who answers questions about luggage and more on his website, dearskysteward.com. By the time the last boarding group races for space in the compartments on a typically packed flight, “everyone has started to panic,” he says. Some passengers are left standing in the aisle with no place to put their belongings.

“It makes me mad that I have to rush to get on the plane just to get a spot to stick my carry-on,” says Matthew Luft, 25, an ATM technician from Midland, Mich.

Leading U.S. airlines usually limit carry-ons to one bag (of varying dimensions) and one smaller item such as a purse or computer case; infant seats and musical instruments may be excluded from the limit. Travelers increasingly flout the rules, passengers and flight attendants say.

The sprint to squish in carry-ons has both groups huffing with anger, or puffing from overexertion. And the busy holiday travel season ahead promises more battles for cabin luggage space.

“This time of year is worse, because we have coats and jackets” to store, says 20-year US Airways flight attendant Steve Schembs, an Association of Flight Attendants officer.

Go here for the rest of the article.

Independent Traveler
Ed Hewitt
Written: 09/25/09

Last year, a good friend took an international trip with a two-stop flight itinerary. Afterwards, he reflected on how beat up he felt when it was over: “Adding that third airport into the mix seemed to add a ton of extra travel this year; it was rough.”

I asked how he booked the flights. He said that he’d used one of the big travel booking sites, and that the itinerary he purchased was the best combination of duration, flight times and price he could find. My response: “Next time, call my travel agent first. You’ll feel a lot better when it’s all over.”

The following year, he did just that, and the agent came up with options that he could never have found himself using a single booking site — specifically, a short and affordable Southwest flight that put him in an airport with countless options for direct flights to his final destination. What would have been another expensive, six-flight endurance test was replaced by a far less demanding trip.

I use my travel agent on about 50 percent of all my trips, so when CNN marvels that travel agents may be making a comeback, I have to agree.

Full Article Here

When politeness is in short supply, being nice can take you a long way

By Christopher Elliott
Travel columnist
msnbc.com contributor

The thought of spending 11 hours in a locked and upright position didn’t put Elyse Weiner in a good mood. But you wouldn’t have known it.

“I was leaving Venice for New York and found that my airline seat was broken,” recalls Weiner, who runs a Manhattan-based podcasting company. “I explained my problem to the flight attendant, but he became angrier and angrier, yelling that ‘nowhere in your agreement with our airline does it say you get to have a seat that works.’ ”

As the crewmember grew more agitated, Weiner had the opposite reaction: She turned nice.

Extra nice.

“I stayed calm and smiled,” she remembers. She also offered to pay for a better seat by redeeming frequent flier miles.

It worked. After the confrontation, another flight attendant quietly moved her to business class. No extra charge.

At a time when pleasantness and politeness seem to be in such short supply in the travel business, being nice can take you a long way.

Full Article Here

With the release of the iPhone 3GS and the instant access we have to information, you may rest assured that when you tour with MCI, we understand your need to connect. I found this article quite interesting and for those of us who have busy lives, a comfort. When you tour with MCI, we want you to know you can still speak with your family, and if you’re one of the touring directors, still email those you were discussing important matters with. Below is a well-informed article that will provide some clarity on how you can connect wirelessly in Europe.

“With my mantra being “pack light,” I used to be against packing electronics of any kind. But now, I bring my laptop, iPod, digital camera and mobile phone to Europe. With hotels retiring their fax machines in favor of email, mobile phones getting cheaper and easier to buy, and Wi-Fi hotspots popping up everywhere, it’s never been simpler to get connected.

If you tote your own laptop, you’ll find that many hotels and cafes offer wireless access — sometimes it’s free, other times, you’ll have to buy a drink or pay a fee — while some towns have Wi-Fi hotspots scattered around highly trafficked areas. Just pay for a password, park yourself on a bench in your favorite idyllic spot — overlooking a sandy beach, on a floodlit piazza or along a bustling people-watching boulevard — then log on and surf away.

It’s handy to travel with a mobile phone, whether you’re calling a hotel for directions or getting in touch with that lost travel buddy who missed the train. If you want to use a mobile phone in Europe, you have two choices: Take your own, or buy one once you’re there. ”
By: Rick Steves
Tribune Media Services

Traveling international with MCI? Not only will you be experiencing an educational and life-changing musical tour but you’ll also be given the opportunity to indulge in a few cuisines that you may not find in the States. Not only is MCI dedicated to insuring a quality tour, but we’re also interested in the cultural experiences you’ll engage in. This article shows a glimpse of what you might find in some of these infamous countries.

By: Rick Steves
Tribune Media Services

Eating and drinking in Europe is sightseeing for your taste buds. Every country has local specialties that are good, memorable, or both. Here are many of the fun experiences that stick in my mind after 30 years of travel. Seek out any of these on your next trip.

Germany’s wurst is the best anywhere, and kraut is not as “sauer” as the stuff you hate at home. Only a tourist puts the sausage in a bun like a hot dog. Munch alternately between the meat and the bread (”that’s why you have two hands”), and you’ll look like a local. Generally, the darker the wiener, the spicier it is.

The hallowed vineyards of Burgundy surround the French city of Beaune. Its venerable Marche aux Vins (wine market) welcomes serious wine buyers and tourists into a subterranean, candle-lit world, where fine wines sit seductively in bottles atop old oak kegs, just waiting to be tasted. Pick up a “tastevin” (shallow, stainless-steel tasting dish) and a shopping basket, descend into the dimly lit caverns, and work your way through the proud selection. Sampling a world of $100 bottles in the company of people who live for their fine wine can be both inspirational and intoxicating.

In Italy, sip wine with college students at an outdoor bar in Padua’s market square. Pour some fine olive oil on a dish, season with salt and pepper, rip a long strip from your bread, dip it, and bite. The last time I was there, a student explained I was making the “scarpette” — the little shoe. Soaking up the oil along with the conversation, we travelers become human “scarpette,” sopping up culture as we explore Europe.
Wherever you travel, it’s fun to meet people over food and drink. It’s part of understanding the culture of a country. Take the initiative not to just see your destination, but to experience it.

Read the FULL ARTICLE

New York Times Travel Blog, March 24, 2009

In Venice, a city of odd spaces, Gianni Colombo’s walk-in art installation “Spazio Elastico” (1967-68) at the Palazzo Grassi contemporary art museum, is one of the oddest. A nearly lightless room subdivided into rectangles by thin elastic cords that glow white in the dark and ever so slowly shift position, it’s as disorienting as a hall of mirrors, only without the mirrors.

And so, when my cellphone began to ring as I stood lost in Colombo’s funhouse, I almost chalked it up to art-induced hallucination. I realized the sound was real, and hurried out of the artwork and over to an isolated corner to answer it. It was my uncle, Gary, calling from Connecticut just to see how my daughter, Sasha, was doing on her first trip abroad. We chatted (even though I hate talking on a cellphone in a place like a museum), and four minutes and six seconds later we hung up.

Throughout the call, neither Gary nor I was particularly worried about the cost of the conversation. That’s because, over the past few years of traveling internationally, I’ve developed a system that not only lets me make inexpensive local calls but also allows friends and family back home to reach me cheaply. It’s a little complicated, but bear with me and I’ll explain.

The first thing you’ll need is an unlocked mobile phone — that is, a phone that’s not tied to one particular carrier. (In the United States, some carriers will unlock your phone if you ask; abroad, most phones come already unlocked.) Then, whenever you arrive in a new country, you can buy a local SIM card (the tiny, interchangeable chip inside the phone that actually lets you connect to a particular carrier; they’re sold at mobile phone stores and kiosks for $2 to $25, depending on the country) and make phone calls and send text messages without paying exorbitant international roaming fees.

Click here to read more.

By James Martin, About.com

So you’re wandering around Europe and notice stars prominently displayed in front of every hotel. Say you find one that has three stars. What does it mean?

The short answer is: just about anything, but probably not what you’re thinking. Let’s get one thing straight, there is no unified definition of a three-star hotel across Europe. And another thing: most of the ratings are provided by the government (or in some cases, like Switzerland, by a volunteer organization), and will be a quantitative measure used to determine the price range (and sometimes the tax obligation) of a hotel. The ranges will overlap, so don’t even look for that much consistency in price; a three star hotel may be more expensive than a four star, even in the same city. It depends.

Full Article Here

How to Plan an International VacationHow to Plan an International Vacation
By Robert Isenberg

http://travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=414416

When it comes to seeing the world, the travel is the easy part—especially if you’ve considered entry requirements, health and safety before you take off.

For most of us, foreign travel is a luxury that requires both time and money. Maybe you’re a young beatnik taking your first backpacking expedition across Europe. Or you’ve arranged a honeymoon cruise around the Caribbean. Or you’ve just retired, and you’re going to spend a month or two sitting beneath a beach umbrella in Thailand. But once you’ve carved out a few weeks from your busy schedule and purchased bargain tickets, what’s the next step? How do you plan the practical details of your trip?

Whether this is your first journey overseas or your 10th, we offer some common-sense advice, from staying healthy to staying in touch. Read on, and bon voyage!

Passport, please . . .

Anyone who’s applied for a passport this year can appreciate how frustrating the process has become. A backlog of requests has made headlines and given many would-be travelers headaches; an estimated 3 million applications are currently being processed, with 18 million expected by the end of 2007.

The deluge is a result of new U.S. policies aimed at tightening the security of the nation’s borders. The government will soon require passports for U.S. citizens returning from Mexico and Canada by land or sea—starting as early as summer 2008. And if you’re flying, you already need a passport to travel to these countries, as well as to most destinations in the Caribbean.

If you’re a U.S. citizen thinking about a foreign trip and you don’t yet have a passport, apply for one right away; the sooner, the better. Expect to wait about 120 days for your new passport, unless you’re willing to pay approximately $60 for expedited service. You can also engage a private company (about 200 exist) as your agent; however, this service is expensive, and works only for customers who haven’t already requested their documents.

Once your passport is issued, it remains valid for a full 10 years (five if you’re under 18). For many countries, such as France and the Czech Republic, a passport is all most tourists need to cross the border. Other nations have more restrictions, and may require you to have a special entrance permit called a visa. For example, to enter India, U.S. citizens must have a passport that’s valid for six months past their date of departure, as well as a visa. At customs in Turkey, you can expect that an official will photograph you while your passport is stamped (you’ll also need a visa, which you can buy on the spot for $20). And if your destination is particularly adventurous, the requirements may be even more stringent: Algeria requires a visa to be typed (until recently, they could be handwritten). And to enter Turkmenistan, you must possess a visa that you can get only by having a letter of invitation from a Turkmeni citizen or organization.

The World’s Cheapest Destinations

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Here are 10 places — undiscovered by most tourists — that are incredible bargains for the adventurous budget traveler.
By John Rosenthal

My wife and I think of ourselves as fairly intrepid travelers. So when we set off for Europe last spring, we were undaunted by the shriveling value of the dollar. We were confident we’d be able to ferret out hidden bargains that most tourists couldn’t find.

Boy, were we wrong! With the euro reaching all-time highs against the U.S. dollar, sticker shock greeted us at every turn. Europe is now the land of the $15 sandwich. And we grimaced every time we settled up a hotel bill.

Even Central and Eastern Europe are no longer the bargains they once were. Tourists have begun flocking to new hot spots such as Hungary and Croatia, and prices have risen accordingly. These days, to get the most bang for their bucks, budget travelers must venture farther afield, to places like Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America. Your flight will be costlier, to be sure, but once you get to your destination, you’ll find no shortage of exotic adventures — as well as comfortable beds — at discount rates.

ASIA

Bali: Tropical splendor on a shoestring

A world apart from the unrest that sometimes grips other parts of Indonesia, Bali seduces visitors with its magnificent beaches, lush volcanic peaks and impossibly green rice paddies. This serene tropical island, dotted with thousands of Hindu shrines and temples, is the stuff of escapist fantasies.

A few dollars buys a lot of luxury here — even budget accommodations feature beautifully carved wooden furniture and jewel-toned fabrics. For $10 to $20, you can bunk in a simple guesthouse or rent a beach bungalow. Even Bali’s most lavish resorts cost a fraction of what you’d pay in other beach destinations. Surfers congregate at the late-night dance clubs in Kuta — and why not? You can always afford a $20 massage to soothe your hangover the next day.

Laos: Tranquility off the beaten track

Laos is one of the best bargains in Southeast Asia —a nd that’s saying something, since most countries there are relatively cheap for travelers. Because tourism is only beginning to make inroads in Laos, visitors are not seen as mere revenue streams; locals extend a warm and genuine welcome.

Life moves at a languid pace in the former royal capital of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There, French colonial architecture coexists with dozens of graceful Buddhist temples, and monks in brilliant orange robes stroll the streets. You can find an inexpensive guesthouse for less than $20 a night; open-air cafes along the Mekong River offer absurdly cheap French and Lao specialties.

If you’re backpacking, set off into the rugged countryside for caving, jungle trekking and a taste of traditional village life. In Xieng Khouang province, don’t miss the Plain of Jars, a mysterious field lined with hundreds of ancient stone urns.

http://travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=414811

http://travel.msn.com//Guides/MSNTravelSlideShow.aspx?cp-documentid=427275

Taxes and charges on airline tickets are growing even as fuel prices skyrocket.

By Aaron Smith, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Last Updated: May 15, 2008: 2:18 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — As if high fuel prices aren’t enough, airlines and passengers are getting pinched by rising taxes as the U.S. government demands a bigger piece of the pie.

About 20% of the price of a $300 domestic round-trip ticket goes to taxes and fees, according to the Air Transport Association, compared with 13% in 1992 and 7% in 1972.

“When the government decides to throw another tax on passengers, that is greatly hurting an already financially hurting industry,” said ATA spokesman David Castelveter. “We’ve long said that we are one of the most overtaxed industries, and we now are dealing with record-level fuel increases. The airline industry is in a worse financial situation than it was on 9/11.”

A ticket price dissected

Rick Seaney, chief executive of online ticket vendor Farecompare.com, estimated that the U.S. government reaped $40 billion in airline ticket taxes in 2007.

Seaney broke down the price of a $300 domestic round-trip flight:

$146.15: Roundtrip airfare
$93.02: Fuel surcharge
$18.00: Passenger facility charge toward airport improvements
$14.00: Federal flight segment tax to Federal Aviation Administration projects
$10.00: Sept. 11 security fee to the Transportation Security Administration
$11.85: Federal sales tax (7.5%) on airfare
$ 6.98: Federal sales tax (7.5%) on fuel surcharge.

Click here to read more

By Marnie Hunter
CNN

With complaints on the rise and industry performance on the decline, what can passengers do to up their chances of a smooth journey? CNN asked industry experts for air travel strategies.

Click here to read the full article.

In the May 2008 issue of SYTA’s “Student & Youth Traveler” magazine we find what destinations made the top 10 in the United States, Canada & Mexico, and “Across the Sea” after a survey was conducted with tour operators around the country. Music Celebrations has been sending tour groups to the following destinations for several years and all locations offer stimulating educational and musical opportunities for any type of ensemble.

The following are the results:

Top 10 Destinations within the United States are:

1) Washington, D.C.
2) New York City
3) Orlando
4) Chicago
5) Boston
6) Historic Triangle (Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown)
7) Southern California
8) Philadelphia
9) Baltimore
10) Hawai’i

The Top 10 Destinations in Canada & Mexico are:

1) Toronto
2) Montréal
3) Quebec City
4) Vancouver
5) Cancun and the Yucatan
6) Calgary
7) Edmonton
8) Ottawa
9) Oaxaca
10) Mexico City

The Top 10 Destinations “Across the Sea” are:

1) United Kingdom (England & Ireland)
2) France
3) Italy
4) Spain
5) Australia
6) Germany
7) Greece
8) Brazil
9) Peru
10) China

As the airlines implement stiffer fines for oversized, overweight, and the amount of luggage, we thought we should take the initiative to educate the traveling public of such policies and offer suggestions on how to best avoid the extra charges.

By clicking on the links below, you will be directed to these airlines’ baggage policies so you may know weight and size limits and the amount of “free checked baggage”.

Southwest, JetBlue, Northwest, United, Delta, Continental, US Airways.

There may be some differences in allowed sizes (noted in linear inches - height + width + depth) of baggage as well as weight of baggage between each airline. Be sure you know the restrictions BEFORE you pack!

Here are some websites that give tips on packing light:

RickSteves.com
OneBag.com
SmartPacking.com
SnapShotJourneys.com

Pack smart, pack light, and pack appropriately. A good rule of thumb is to spread everything out on the bed/floor that you plan on packing and then putting half of it back in the closet. Nobody has yet said, “I wish I had packed more” while on tour.

By DAN REED, USA TODAY
Feb. 19, 2008

Americans flying to Europe in spring will be paying more — in some cases, a lot more — largely because of skyrocketing fuel costs.

An analysis for USA TODAY of ticket sales through Sabre, the world’s largest distribution system, shows that the average price paid through Jan. 31 for U.S.-Europe air travel in April or May was 6.9% higher than during the comparable periods in 2007.

The analysis looked at round-trip sales regardless of fare categories.

Travelers are paying those higher prices despite a 10.3% expansion of trans-Atlantic flying capacity by the airlines. Typically, when the supply of a product rises, prices rise little, if at all.

Click HERE for full article

By Marilyn Adams, USA TODAY
Millions of passengers who like to pack heavily on trips soon will have to pay extra to check a second bag on United Airlines (UAUA).

Citing the extraordinary cost of jet fuel, United on Monday became the first major U.S. carrier to impose a $25 fee each way on domestic passengers who buy the cheapest tickets and check two suitcases. Checking a third bag will cost an additional $100 each way.

Until now, checking two bags on flights has been free on United, the USA’s No. 2 airline, and every other major carrier.

But luggage is heavy, and extra weight requires more fuel to transport. In the October-December quarter, fuel cost United $1.4 billion, 26% more than a year earlier. Fuel is airlines’ largest expense, eclipsing wages.

“The passenger who checks two bags should pay the extra cost of carrying two bags,” said Robin Urbanski, spokeswoman for the Chicago-based carrier.

Yesterday, NPR’s Talk of the Nation covered an interesting topic - traveling on commercial airlines with odd-sized carry-on items, such as harps and double basses.

You can listen to the segment here.

There was a time in this industry when airlines worked together to move passengers who were affected by aircraft mechanical delays/cancellations and weather issues to their final destinations. Although those safeguards are still in place, the reality of the situation is that airlines are flying at higher utilization ratios than ever before, and sometimes passengers can be stranded en-route for periods of time at their own expense, because the other airlines are booked to capacity. It is important to understand that airlines, by law, are not responsible to compensate passengers for circumstances outside of their control and, unfortunately, mechanical failures fall under that broad category. Being delayed is much better than flying across the North Atlantic in a broken airplane, and that is the basis for the legality issue involved.

Groups and individual passengers wishing to safeguard their financial interests would be wise to consider additional travel protection, especially if they are unable to “self-insure” for unexpected costs.

MCI strives to offer realistic base air estimates to groups in proposals but due to the dynamic nature of airline costs, a prediction that is accurate today, can change tomorrow. The sooner a group locks in its air by a $100.00 per person air deposit, the more assured they are of successfully securing in-budget air.

Groups interested in purchasing price and keeping costs low would be wise to consider the following:

1. Traveling internationally on weekends often involves weekend surcharges for travel on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Avoiding these days can save $25.00 - $50.00 per person that can be better utilized elsewhere.
2. Groups hoping to travel on a lower budget should always avoid travel on holidays. Airlines frequently raise fares when demand is heavy and demand is always heavy when potential customers have paid time off from work.
3. Seasonality for group travel now includes school break periods in the peak or high season vs. shoulder where they were set in the “good old days.”
4. Traveling domestically sometimes requires overstaying a Saturday night in order to secure the lower fare levels.
5. On transcontinental domestic flights, red-eye options sometimes can provide substantial savings and get your groups to their destinations with more time to spend sightseeing prior to their hotel check in. (Groups that arrive earlier are normally restricted from checking into their hotel earlier due to housekeeping issues at hotel properties.)
6. The air department works with deviators individually to fulfill their needs for customized itineraries for a service fee of $100.00 per person plus the cost of additional airfare involved in the new itinerary.
7. The sooner a group provides sufficient funds to cover air deposits, the more scheduling options they will likely have available to them.
8. After contract acceptance, changes to dates or itineraries can incur additional cost and are best avoided whenever possible.
9. Inflating group numbers in order to reduce land costs can increase air costs and negate savings depending upon the market and space availability. Market driven pricing allows airlines to change fare levels automatically with a key stroke, if demand is high.

Groups who are adamant about traveling on fixed dates without flexibility will likely be paying a higher fare for that privilege. In essence, each group decides to buy either price or schedule and should be counseled early on to consider whether they are more interested in price or schedule, because it is likely that both may not be simultaneously available.

“Ports of Entry” are main gateways where international flights can land. These gateways (AKA hubs) have customs agents on staff to clear passengers arriving into the United States. International flights cannot land at airports that are not ports of entry. The key ports in the U.S. are Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Charlotte (CLT), Chicago (ORD), Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW), Denver (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK/LGA/EWR), Orlando (MCO), Philadelphia (PHL), Portland (PDX), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), Washington, D.C. (IAD).

Many groups originate in “offline cities” where they have a regional airport that serves their needs. These “non-port of entry airports” are in many instances large enough to operate larger aircraft but the major American domestic carriers including UA/DL/CO/NW/US, etc. have decided to strike strategic alliances with regional feed airlines that operate smaller aircraft in order to have greater frequency in these smaller markets. When our groups choose to originate locally, if they are not in a port of entry gateway, they will now likely be split into various smaller groups for transport into the hub. The aircraft in use on these routes i.e. CR7, CR9, DH (various) limit groups to 25-30 passengers per frequency. These smaller aircraft also make it difficult for instrumental ensembles to transport large pieces of musical equipment.

Groups within realistic motor-coach transport of a gateway may be wise in considering this option, although it might not, in all cases, be less expensive from an airfare perspective. Sometimes offline cities have marginally lower fare levels (i.e. $25.00 to $40.00 pp) and small amounts of married segments for sale. It is important to remember that these published fares exist for the use of individual passenger traffic, and not group traffic. Whether or not low fares exist for our group passengers is a matter of seat availability at the time of the space search. In many instances, we fly groups into hubs in more time than it would take for them to board a motor-coach and transfer to a main hub, thus avoiding splits and additional security hassles.

By Barbara De Lollis and Barbara Hansen, USA TODAY

Responding largely to high fuel costs, the USA’s six big network airlines continue to trim their U.S. schedules despite strong travel demand.

The six carriers — American (AMR), United (UAUA), Delta (DAL), Continental (CAL), Northhwest (NWA) and US Airways (LCC)— have scheduled 4.4% fewer seats for January than a year earlier, according to a USA TODAY analysis of flight schedules that includes their regional feeder airlines.

To trim capacity, airlines can eliminate routes, fly them less frequently or switch to smaller planes. Whatever the course, travelers face reduced options and fuller flights.