Holy double-take Batman!

Yep, while that headline wouldn't have been my first choice, the TSA's Web site sees it as a suitable heads-up for its upcoming August 4 policy change for two remarkably different carry-ons.

The TSA press release begins:

In an effort to concentrate resources on detecting explosive threats, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today announced it will no longer enforce the ban on common lighters in carry-on luggage. Torch lighters will continue to be banned in carry-ons. The agency collects more than 22,000 lighters a day which represents a high percentage of all prohibited items surrendered at checkpoints nationwide. The measures will be implemented on August 4th.

TSA is also modifying the procedures associated with carrying breast milk through security checkpoints. Mothers flying with or without their child will be permitted to bring breast milk in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint.

Read TSA's New Policies for Lighters and Breast Milk

Posted by Tom at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I recall my first encounter with the stubby little "water fountain" that shared close proximity to the toilet in my hotel room.

Fascinated that one would have to kneel to take a sip of water, I still found it curious and unabashedly bold to place something intended to refresh so close to something that was destined to be flushed. 

Fresh from my high school in Hooterville, I concluded that I was staying in a fancy hotel, and that's what fancy hotels do.  

Lucky for me, my more sophisticated field trip roommate (his family summered in Paris, France, Europe) spared me the public humiliation of being outed as a bona fide bumpkin. "Hey you guys, Tom thought the bidet was a water fountain."  (As if the rest of them knew what a bidet was.)

I was even more grateful that he did not entertain himself by encouraging me to satisfy my thirst with the gentle spray of this knee-high quencher. I think he explained it a total of three times. Each explanation was chased by my need to scream "no way!"

Oddly, I repeated that same shrill cry of disbelief when I read that the bidet will reach new heights in cleaning one's posterior when JAL and ANA have some of the little creature comforts installed on their fleets of new Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Talk about in-flight amenities!

In a travel world consumed with delays, security issues, and overcrowding, I took the liberty of taking a detour down under this week to share a story off the beaten path.  

The Wall Street Journal flushes out the detail in Two Airlines to Add Bidet on New Boeing.

What in-flight amenity would like to see made available to travelers? Comment below!

Posted by Tom at 8:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

The conference is over.  The iPhones have been given away and the booth's packed up.   What could possibly be left to tell?  Well, there is one thing...  

Expedia Corporate Travel and JetBlue got together to throw a party to thank all of the customers of both companies that made it to NBTA.  As you might have guessed, it was an absolutely raucous affair (which should have been no surprise given that we held it at Gypsy Bar, the kind of place usually reserved for the upper crust party crowd.  Truthfully, the kind of place that would have turned 90% of us away on a normal night...)

So what happened?  Take a look at the pictures and see if you can spot some of your friends from the convention:

First, our amazing events team:

All of the Pictures from the Party!

The party exceeded all expectations from any of us at ECT.  Here are some of the most notable happenings from the eventful night:

1. Repeated funny shouts from the bar that customers should leave the Harry Potter at the door and stop calling the Patron tequila "Patronus,"
2. The amazing number of shots that I saw people put away.  Seriously.  At one point I seriously thought I had stumbled in fraternity party only to realize that the liqour was way too nice for that.
3.  An absolutely packed dance floor.  ECT Canada employee Megan Rideout was surprisingly convincing at getting folks out on the floor but the persuasion was hardly needed.  The place was wall to wall.
4.  Attractive bartenders are a bigger draw than a band.  
 
This last one was really a surprise.  I was personally worried that people would really wish we'd had a band.  Right next door to us was another NBTA party featuring the Aphrodisiacs.  All night long there was a steady stream of people coming over to ogle the staff.  (When we picked the venue, I swear I had no idea the place was voted to have the best looking staff of any bar in Boston two years running.)

All in all, it was a great event.  Thanks again to JetBlue for their sponsorship and the free tickets they handed out to happy partygoers throughout the night.  And finally, thanks to the amazing Expedia events team for pulling it off!

Posted by Eric at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I'm back in Seattle basking in the glow of a successful NBTA.  Thank you to all of the current and prospective customers who came by to meet us, talk candidly about what's working and where we can continue to improve, and learn more about Expedia Corporate Travel. 

I was somewhat surprised by the amount of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) some of our competitors try to put into the marketplace.  Tip to you marketers out there - if you decide to FUD the competition be sure you are making somewhat credible statements.  For example, a number of customers came up to me to say that a couple of our competitors, who shall remain nameless, were saying that Expedia Corporate Travel has no call centers and no agents.  One current customer corrected a competitor, who went on to say that they heard we only had a small number of agents and they only worked a few hours a day. 

Let me set the record straight.

Expedia Corporate Travel has a dozen call centers in North America, Europe, and Asia.  We have over 200 experienced travel agents who are available 24/7, every day of the year.  Customers tell us that our service levels are some of the best in the industry, and we routinely receive very high recommend scores in post-travel surveys.

We have integrated the offline support function and the online travel management product, an industry first.  When a traveler calls an agent for help that agent sees travel plans the same way that a traveler would, which cuts the time required to understand the incoming request.  Each agent assisted transaction is captured in the data warehouse and becomes part of the travel manager's reports.  Heck, our customer service supervisors participate in quarterly and annual business reviews for a number of our customers. 

To anybody who heard the opposite I invite you to check out what we can do for you at expediacorporate.com.

And again, thank you for making this NBTA a success for Expedia Corporate Travel.

-Stan Sorensen, VP Marketing, Expedia Corporate Travel

Posted by Tom at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The NBTA Boston 2007 closing reception was a success…from the moment you walked into the party you felt the LA vibe, which was perfect since the soiree was hosted by LA INC (Los Angeles Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureaus), their partners and the LA NBTA team. They dreamt up an outstanding closing reception!

Paparazzi snapped photos as you entered the reception, as if you were walking down Hollywood Blvd to a movie premiere. The food was amazing and the drinks kept flowing. In addition to the DJ, we were treated to the vocal stylings of Lori Jenaire. A great time was had by all…we can't wait until NBTA 2008!

Gypsy Bar: Expedia Corporate Travel and JetBlue hosted another fabulous party at NBTA. The party was well attended by customers,suppliers and invited guests. The venue is among the most popular in Boston and the dance floor was packed! The Gypsy Bar even features a unique aquarium, can you guess what's in the tank? Answer here.

 -Shani DeSantis, Account Manager, Expedia Corporate Travel

Posted by Tom at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This morning Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO & President of Expedia, spoke to the audience about what we call the " 3 waves."  The 3 waves is how we think about the evolution of corporate travel.

Wave 1 was the growth of online booking. 
Wave 2 is the integration of online and offline travel into the larger procurement and line of business environment of a company.  This is the wave we are in today.
Wave 3 is just beginning, and is the integration of user generated content into the corporate travel management world.

Dara pointed out the inherent tension that exists in Wave 3, namely that user generated content means that control of the content is handed over to the traveler, but corporate travel management is based on controlling the travel process.  He asked whether the industry is ready to hand control  over to the traveler, and if so to what extent.  It's an interesting question to ponder.

Doris Kearns Goodwin spoke about leadership and shared a number of stories, mostly from her most recent book Team of Rivals, which discusses the composition of Lincoln's cabinet during the Civil War.  Having read much of the book it was particularly interesting to hear her insights.  Her premise was that being a great leader means seeking out and acknowleding competing points of view and being able to know when to say "I have enough information, here is my decision."  As an aside she pointed out that this is something that we are not likely to see in today's political climate.

After the talk Doris signed books for our customers.  And I got to talk a little baseball with her, which was nearly as much a highlight as the talk itself.  At least for me.

Signing off from Boston.

-Stan Sorensen, VP Marketing, Expedia Corporate Travel

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I took some time yesterday afternoon to walk the show floor and was surprised by two things:

1.  It's never too early to find someone handing out drinks.  (The booth next to ours had fantastic Bloody Marys from the very beginning and it was hard to find an attendee without a Cosmo from Boeing or a cappuccino from Delta.) 

2.  You're a nobody without a lay flat seat.

This second one is a truly amazing concept.  As someone who has attended many trade shows and even been occasionally involved in booth design (including ours here at NBTA) I feel like I have some idea what will be eye-catching for trade show goers.  Each show has its trademark booth attractions:  bikini-clad models at car shows, giant 170" plasma screens at CES, and even a white water kayak rafting demonstration at Outdoor Retailer.  At NBTA, without question, you have to have a lay flat seat. 

Without fail, nearly every booth with real honest-to-goodness airplane seats in it has people lined up waiting to try it out.  EOS, American, Qatar, Malaysian Airways have all hopped on the bandwagon.  I have to confess, I'm not immune to the allure.  How many of us can really afford to travel this way?  How many of us have travel programs that book travelers in these seats?  That said, the marketing behind this booth design is pure genius.  Who wouldn't want to fly this way and who wouldn't want to tell everyone that they have to fly X airline because the seats just have to be seen to be believed?  Showing the seats at NBTA and getting people into them is like test driving the top of the line car at the dealership and then buying the one you can afford.  In your mind, you will associate the car you took home with the souped up version you first tried.

My takeaway?  Sure, we may be a corporate travel management company but next year our booth will feature the all new Expedia Corporate Travel lay flat seat!  We will commit to lead the (corporate travel management) industry in comfort and quality.  (Design submissions welcome.  All promises of said airline seats made on blogs should be considered vaporware until proven otherwise...)  :-)

Seriously, if you're a big follower of these seats, take a look at this excellent blog, which rates them and talks about how to nab one on your next flight.

Eric Heller :: Director of Marketing :: Expedia Corporate Travel

Posted by Tom at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I had an opportunity to spend time with one of our airline partners yesterday discussing United's announcement that they are updating all of their international business class cabins.  I knew that this is not a decision to be taken lightly - load factor, what you can get for a ticket, etc - all come into play as you might expect.

What I didn't know was the extent to which an airline does usability testing before deciding what type of changes to make.  Perhaps this partner is unique, but they told me that they actively seek out customer input, do mock-ups, and test.  Just like we do when we build product.  Needless to say I offered to participate in future studies.

And speaking of cabins nearly every airline here has a model cabin on the floor.  I was on the floor this morning before the show opened and took an opportunity to try a few out.  It became clear pretty quickly who makes the investment in gathering passenger input and who doesn't.   

-Stan Sorensen, VP Marketing, Expedia Corporate Travel

Posted by Tom at 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As always, NBTA is a reunion of all the people you’ve known throughout the years working in the travel industry, which is somewhat of a barometer of how long you’ve been in the industry so it seemed like a saw old friends and past co-workers at every turn yesterday (I.e. I’ve been around a long time!).

Posted by Tom at 7:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

...Make That Test Drives [Insert Industry Here] 2.0 

Posted by Tom at 7:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Cannes has its film festival; Calgary its stampede. Pamplona runs with the bulls and Boston…well, Boston is where all things and all persons connected to world and ways of business travel convene at NBTA, July 22 - 25, 2007.

The best and brightest from Expedia Corporate Travel are planning to descend upon the National Business Travel Association's convention and immerse themselves in travel presentations, demonstrations, education and elation. Yes, we love our business of business travel.

New suitcase, $142.
Cab to the airport, $45.
Not being allowed to board a flight you hold a ticket for, priceless.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is seeking public comment on possible changes, including compensation, to the rules governing airline oversales, or "bumping." Here's your chance to comment on several proposals that could change the compensation totals airlines are required to provide ticketed passengers left behind.

Bumping: A Brief History
The bumping rules were first adopted in 1962 to balance the rights of passengers with the needs of air carriers to minimize the effect of passengers with reservations who do not take their flight. When a flight is oversold, the airline must first seek volunteers who are willing to give up their seats in return for compensation offered by the airline. The airline may bump passengers involuntarily if not enough of them volunteer, and these passengers are eligible for cash compensation in most circumstances. The rule applies to passengers bumped from an oversold flight that departs without them, not to those affected by delayed or canceled flights.

Bumping: Current Rules
Under the current rule, if the airline can arrange alternate transportation scheduled to arrive at the passenger's destination within two hours of the planned arrival time of the oversold flight, or four hours on international flights, the compensation is the amount of the fare to the passenger's destination with a $200 maximum. If the airline cannot meet these deadlines, the amount of compensation doubles, with a $400 maximum. These payments are in addition to the value of the passenger's ticket, which the passenger can use for alternate transportation or have refunded if not used. There are occasions when airlines are not required to pay compensation, for example, where the passenger is provided alternate transportation scheduled to arrive at the passenger's destination within one hour of the planned arrival time of the oversold flight.

Further information on the Department's bumping rule is available at DOT's Air Consumer site.

Bumping: Show Me the Money
The DOT is seeking comment on the following five proposals:

Posted by Tom at 8:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Last week's Passenger Rights Go to Washington hit a nerve. Readers had strong feelings about how an airline should and should not treat them and how airlines should and should not be regulated. The debate was spirited.

"In our society, holding anyone against their will for any period of time is a crime. Only in the airline industry is it an inconvenience." -K.

"I applaud the government's attempt to acknowledge that the airline industry has developed some serious flaws regarding passenger rights, but I have to agree that this doesn't go far enough." -T.S.

These are some kinder, gentler examples. To check out the comments from last week and to join the debate, click here.

I was chided for my my support and lack of support for the passenger rights bill, as well my linking to a homespun passenger rights group. How do I really feel about the issue a Passenger Bill of Rights?

I liken it to a friend's story about her first year in Florida. When she was taping her home's windows for an impending Hurricane (unfortunately named Andrew), her neighbor remarked, "That may make you feel better now, but it's not going to do a hill of beans of good in a day or two." I think this rings true of the PBR before Congress. It may make us feel better now, but I question its effectiveness later.

Don't get me wrong; I like government regulation for some things like standards for child safety seats or not removing mattress tags under penalty of law. But in the realm of airline regulation, the current language of the PBR is pretty toothless and seems more of a band-aid than a cure.

If I could choose one issue to address seriously, it would be the allowable time for passengers to be trapped on a plane on the tarmac. Should it be one hour, two hours or three?

When I have something to read, allergy medicine handy and functioning onboard toilets, I can hunker down for two hours if it means getting me to my destination. Delayed a minute more, I begin to resemble a seven-headed hydra.

My past airline experience tells me a plane doesn't leave the gate without a mountain of people and scheduling behind it. Gates rarely sit empty and replacement planes don't exist.

How do you regulate coming back to the gate after sitting idle for an hour, if five more minutes would have produced a take-off slot? You have to ask yourself, does a return to the gate create a greater delay or cancellation?

There surely is a limit to how long you should endure captivity on a grounded flight, but what is that for most travelers?

What are you thoughts?

Posted by Tom at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Long ago in a job far away from my current vocation or mindset, I was an airline customer service agent. (One who actually lived up to his name tag, thank you very much.)

Outfitted in the finest blue polyester an airline could supply, I came to realize the color of my uniform came to represent the state of the airline industry as well. My expectation bar was set pretty low at one point. If no one threw hot coffee in my face, it was a good day.

It was tough being an airline employee, but I knew it was even tougher being a passenger.

Last week, Congress began to see the light. The House Transportation Committee released the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization bill, which included a section focused on passenger rights. The Senate version also included a passenger rights section, a first for such legislation.

Rep. Mike Thompson who authored some of the passenger rights language said, "This bill is an initial step toward ensuring passengers are treated fairly and decently when flying."

The legislation calls for airlines to have back-up plans for excessive delays and to provide passengers with food, water and escape routes (my words) if stranded on a plane longer than three hours. (I move to have that changed to three minutes.)

This really is just an initial step and one that depending on its success and level of support, will hopefully evolve to greater accountability and timelier resolution. Critics of the legislation, like the Coalition of Passenger's Bill of Rights, say it's not strong enough and fails to dictate specific timelines supporting stranded or delayed passengers.

What are your thoughts? Comment here.

Have a question for Tom?
Tom Conway, who thinks passenger rights begin with providing real half & half for onboard coffee, looks forward to your questions, comments and tips.

Posted by Tom at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (34) | TrackBacks (0)

Apparently, the glamour of air travel did not accompany the Concorde into retirement. International travelers are being courted with a new wave of first and business class options and indulgences that begin well before the plane even leaves the gate. 

The Wall Street Journal takes a look behind the first class curtain to see what's up with traveling in the lap of luxury lately in A Bubble Bath and a Glass Of Bubbly -- at the Airport.

Posted by Tom at 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dreamliner seems an appropriate name for Boeing's newest creation, the 787.

I'm not sure what Orville and Wilbur Wright felt on that North Carolina beach in 1903, but I suspect it was similar to the elation employees of Boeing felt on Sunday, 07/08/07--make that 7/8/7, when the the plane was rolled out for all to see.

According to Boeing, the 787 Dreamliner Premiere was broadcast live via satellite to more than 45 countries with Tom Brokaw as the host. With 15,000 employees, and friends of Boeing in attendance, it was an event and an airplane that made quite an impression.

Business Week takes us on a tour of the 787's sleek new interior.

Read and see more: Boeing's New Airplane

Posted by Tom at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

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The European Union has announced a ban on Indonesian airlines landing in Europe. This public seal of disapproval over the safety standards and records of Indonesian airlines follows a year of increased aircraft accidents.

And while no Indonesian carriers currently serve any EU country, the message is loud and clear that EU member states feel it is unwise to fly on any Indonesian airline until improvements are made and safety checks in place.

Read more from the BBC: EU Bans All EU Airlines

Posted by Tom at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)