In other words, they’re letting cabin crew know how they’re going to beat them before the game officially begins.

It’s a move that could work out well for the airline, as the ultimate injury isn’t work stoppage —  it’s a lack of traveler confidence, resulting in a long-term drop in sales.

In a March 3 press-release, British Airways CEO Willie Walsh wrote the airline plans to operate all flights from London City Airport, all long-haul flights and about half of the short-haul flights at Gatwick, and a “substantial proportion” of long- and short-haul flights at Heathrow.

Walsh also said the airline has trained nearly 1,000 volunteer employees as cabin crew and has arranged to secure seats from other carriers. Unite has until March 15 to announce any strike dates, and must give seven days advance notice before walkouts.

British Airways might not be calling for strike action, but it’s definitely calling the union’s bluff.

Cabin-crew members voted for a strike Feb. 22, but in this case the union might be able to very gently tighten the screws without throwing punches. After all, uncertainty alone has to be hurting British Airways, with some passengers choosing to fly on alternate airlines until the strike talks are resolved. Successful negotiations would also mean the airline doesn’t have to roll-out potentially-embarrassing plan B—cross-training workers to replace experienced cabin crew.

We can only imagine that this is an empty threat, and one that has cabin-crew members scratching their heads and wondering who would volunteer for their jobs—baggage handlers? Office employees? Executive leadership? And is seven days, the required time between strike notice and industrial action, enough time to train on safety procedures, mediations regarding overhead bin space and the myriad of other issues the cabin crews handle each flight?

While the results might be reality-TV worthy, it’s not a scenario most travelers would welcome.  

• J.D. Power and Associates released their ranking of best and worst airports in the U.S., based on sizes small, medium and large: http://www.jdpower.com/travel/ratings/airport-ratings
• Lufthansa pilots union announced their plans to strike for four days February 22-25. Check their website for latest developments: http://www.lufthansa.com.
• American Airlines has ended its policy of same-day coach standby. Most flight changes in coach will incur a $50 confirmation fee to guarantee. Learn more: http://www.aa.com/i18n/utility/sameDayTravel.jsp
• The DOT has updated its Aviation Consumer Protection and Enforcment website. It's a comprehensive website that provides easy access to information relating to passengers' rights and recourse options: http://airconsumer.dot.gov/

Research Examines Policy and Cost Control to Uncover Savings Opportunities; Global Study Shows Significant Losses from Unmanaged Hotel Programs

BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- LONDON BUSINESS TRAVEL SHOW -- Egencia®, an Expedia, Inc. company, today previewed results from a global study "Hotel Cost Control: Savings and Opportunities," finding that companies risk tremendous annual budget losses through unmanaged travel activity. Pairing insight from corporate travelers, travel executives and real-world travel programs, the study also examines common areas of loss, ways to prevent leakage and emerging opportunities for cost savings in an effort to establish industry best practices.

"Managing travel policy and controlling hotel costs are two ways Egencia has been able to deliver huge value to clients around the globe," said Pam Keenan Fritz, Senior Vice President, Egencia North America. "To help businesses understand these issues more acutely, we embarked on a dedicated study that will also yield best practices for the industry."

A global survey of 433 travel executives revealed missed opportunities for corporations managing hotel spend, including that 30 percent said their companies did not have a hotel policy in place. Supporting data confirms other gaps including:

• 65% do not have city-specific hotel per diems
• 33% use expense reporting to monitor compliance
• 34% require pre-trip approval to monitor compliance
• To encourage compliance: 32% proactively inform all employees who book travel of the policy; 29% verbally reprimand those who book out of policy; 12% send email notification to those who book out of policy; and 12 percent do not enforce compliance at all.

These statistics are significant because defining hotel per diems by city or actively enforcing a policy once in place can help make a travel program more fiscally sound. Likewise, requiring pre-trip approval can boost compliance and deter unnecessary spending by palpable amounts.

"Having strong compliance and reporting data helps immensely with negotiating perks and rates, like those we offer through the Egencia Preferred Rate program," said Chris Moreland, Vice President of Account Management, Egencia. "When employees book outside a travel program or company policy, that opportunity is lost, and the fix could be as simple as articulating existing policies better."

This issue was further underscored by the results of a global survey of 1,000 travelers and arrangers. Fifty-five percent of those that responded noted that their company does not enforce or simply encourages them to follow a hotel policy; and 32 percent said that their company does not have a hotel policy at all.

The Hotel Cost Control study also takes a deeper look at the benefits of proactive policy management and reducing leakage. For example, for Egencia clients with an average travel spend of $15 million or more, those actively enforcing policy saved roughly 17 percent on average daily rates (ADR) versus those companies that do not enforce hotel policy. Companies that enforce hotel policy also see 14 percent greater policy compliance and a 33 percent greater hotel trip attach rate versus un-enforced programs, meaning they are reducing leakage in their program.

Besides sharing best practices for policy implementation and enforcement, the study also examines topics such as:

• Preferred supplier strategy and negotiation
• Managing change within your organization
• Monitoring and policy oversight
• Benefits of mandating

In its 2010 Forecast and Hotel Negotiability Index, Egencia found that hotels represented fertile ground for buyers to negotiate better rates and realize travel cost savings. To address this issue in-depth, Egencia invested in this global study and will share this along with other best practices in a free web seminar "Hotel Cost Control: Best Practices and Opportunities" on March 11, 2010, 10:00 a.m. Pacific time/1:00 p.m. Eastern time/6:00 p.m. GMT at Egencia.com. To register for the Webinar or to receive a free copy of the white paper, go to Egencia.com or http://www.egencia.com/mktg/2010_q1_hotel/default.asp.

About Egencia, an Expedia, Inc. Company

Egencia is the fifth largest travel management company in the world. As part of Expedia, Inc., (Nasdaq: EXPE), the world's largest travel marketplace, Egencia helps businesses get ahead by offering the only truly integrated corporate travel service. Egencia's industry expertise helps drive results that matter, delivering meaningful advancements that have a real impact. By combining a powerful offline and online service, Egencia delivers a complete corporate travel offering supported by global market expertise and a best-in-class technology platform.

For more information, go to www.egencia.com.

Egencia and the Egencia logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.

© 2010 Egencia, LLC. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Egencia

When it comes to train travel in the U.S., I often catch myself sounding like a child deprived of another kid's toys. "I want what they have." The 'what' is high speed rail; the 'they' is Asia and Europe.

Perhaps the tide is turning in a country that traded in the iron horse for a jet engine and interstate highway system. This week President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is awarding $8 billion to states across the country to develop America’s first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service.

View a full list of the awards HERE.

The big stars of the funding include developing new, large-scale high-speed rail programs. Florida will receive up to $1.25 billion to develop a new high-speed rail corridor between Tampa and Orlando with trains running up to 168 miles per hour. California is receiving up to $2.25 billion for its planned project to connect Los Angeles to San Francisco and points in between with trains running up to 220 miles per hour.

I just hope some of the projects will be completed before I qualify for Amtrak's senior discount.

In this acronymn-heavy heads-up, travelers in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) are required to register with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) when traveling to the U.S.

As of today, the ESTA program becomes mandatory for US-bound travelers who participate in the VWP. ESTA is an automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors who travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. Passengers are advised to apply for an ESTA no later than 72 hours prior to departure. They can apply for an ESTA even if they do not have a ticket booked to the US here: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

While the ESTA requirement itself went in to place in January 2009, it will now be enforced. The VWP enables qualifying citizens of participating countries to apply for admission to the U.S. for 90 days or less as non-immigrant visitors for business or pleasure without obtaining a U.S. non-immigrant visa.

The following countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program.

As travelers face new concerns about their safety and the evolving protocols for airline and airport security, I thought the following information would prove valuable for anyone headed to the airport.  

Air Travel: Within U.S.
According to the TSA, security checkpoint requirements for passengers departing U.S. airports remain the same. This agency does add that passengers wearing loose fitting or bulky clothing - including headwear - may be subject to additional screening. Read More.

Air Travel: Canada to U.S.
If you're flying from Canada to the U.S., no carry-on baggage is allowed in the cabin. Certain items such as laptops and purses are exceptions to the rule. Read More.

The White House blog even point out you could send $10 via texting as seen below:

Again, while the US Government is doing all it can, you can also help immediately by donating to the international fund of the Red Cross to assist the relief effort.

• Donate $10 to the Red Cross to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting "HAITI" to "90999." 
• Contribute online to the Red Cross,
• Find more ways to help through the Center for International Disaster Information.

And of course families of Americans living in Haiti should still contact the State Department at 888-407-4747.

For a list of charitable organizations acitve in Haiti, news agencies have been quick to compile lists of charitable organizations doing work in Haiti. Visit the links below: 

• MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34835478/ns/world_news-americas/
• CNN: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/
• CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/13/world/main6090814.shtml
• ABC: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/haiti-earthquake-help-victims/story?id=9547030&page=1

Twas the flight before Christmas and all through the hub
Woman Road Warriors with laptops had gone to the club
The shoes and the purses were stacked in the bins
Experienced flyers stripped down to their skins

The passengers were crowded all snug in their seats
With visions of coffee maybe Starbucks or Peet's
And my seatmate with ear buds and I in my wrap
Had just settled our brains for an all-flight long nap

Continue reading: The Flight Before Christmas

Cheers, and safe travels!

Holiday (and Everyday) Travel Tips

It’s that time of year when I like to dish up holiday travel tips like a seasonal centerpiece. Traditions can be tasty whether on the table or on the road.  So think of this list as a little holiday appetizer, chockablock with travel tidbits for your consideration when over-the-river-and-through-the-woods is on your itinerary.  

• Create a travel check list.
  

• Pack light, the day before
  

• Make a plan A and B for airport parking or transportation
  

• Snap a digital photo of your parking space location or garage level for reference
  

• Carry a copy of your itinerary
  

• Double check your departure time well before your departure time.
  

• Check in online and print boarding pass prior to leaving for the airport (usually up to 24-hours ahead of flight time).
  

• Check out baggage policies
  

• Consider paying baggage fees online during Web check-in
  

• Pack some snacks (leave liquids >3.5 oz. at home)
  

• Tote a couple diversions (books, toys, letters to write)
  

• Depart earlier than normal for the airport. (Anticipate parking, security screening, traffic, larger crowds.)
  

• Wear easily removable shoes (for security checkpoints)

• Remove all old destination tags from luggage (important)
  

• Add ID tags to luggage (inside and out)
  

• Don’t bring wrapped gifts through security
  

• Bye-bye Beaujolais; no gift bottles of wine allowed through security

• Upon checking in, verify your checked baggage receipts match your final destination.  (Portland, Maine (PDM) is not Portland, Oregon (PDX).)
  

• Keep valuables, cell phone chargers and medications in your carry-on luggage.
  

• Adhere to TSA travel policies and airline carry-on luggage rules.
  

• No joking; take security seriously. (Holding cells aren’t very festive.)
  

• Email your itinerary to appropriate parties
  

• If being picked up, give very specific instructions to the chauffeur, and exchange cell phone numbers.
  

• Don't sweat the small stuff (at the airport and at your final destination).
  

Things to consider:  Be aware that airlines usually release pre-assigned seats 20-30 minutes prior to departure if you have not checked in (an argument for checking in online). Flights will likely be overbooked. If you’re late and miss your original flight, later flights may not have space to accommodate you. 

Once on the ground, you’re on your own. As a man who is one false move away from being relegated to the kiddy table, I resist offering advice outside the parameters of travel.

Happy Holidays. May the warmth of heart and home find you wherever you may travel.

The Los Angeles Business Travel Association (LABTA), the nation's largest chapter of corporate travel executives and associates, announced their new officers and board members for 2010 at the membership's annual Holiday Gala.

And the big news around here is our own Kjarsten Phillipsen, Egencia District Sales Manager, was appointed to the Board of Directors.  Kjarsten can you hear your friends and colleagues cheering around the globe? Congratulations, we (and your travel industry associates) think the world of you.  And from the list below, we can see you are in very  good company.

Elected by the membership to the Executive Board:

Appointed to the Board of Directors:

Just how many ways are there to board an aircraft? At last count, a bazillion. 

Virgin America is thinking outside the box and quietly testing a new boarding order on some flights out of San Francisco. Basically, passengers without luggage are allowed to board first. Personal items like laptops and purses don't count, so traveling light really could pay off for both the passenger and the airline.

The Smarter Traveler reported that Virgin America spokeswoman Abby Lunardini said, "[We want to] see if it: 1) helps speed up the boarding process and 2) makes the process more smooth and seamless for guests." It's in the testing phase, so we'll keep you posted on whether the practice is adopted systemwide or by other carriers.