Dec
4
Travelers Stay Ahead of the Storm
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PRESS RELEASE - For Immediate Release
Business and Pleasure Travelers Stay Ahead of the Storm with Severe Weather Advisories
Severe Weather Advisories are Critical in Avoiding Travel Delays and Headaches
EVERGREEN, Co — December 4, 2008 — November 30th marked the end of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season in which a number of storms wreaked havoc throughout the Caribbean. For the business and pleasure travelers visiting the region, the hurricane season could not end soon enough as many experienced ruined vacations, cancelled itineraries, lost time and money. However hurricanes alone do not account for the traveler’s headaches - ice storms, blizzards, floods, and widespread severe thunderstorms all contribute to a traveler’s risk when dealing with Mother Nature.
Severe Weather Advisories, produced by The Swinden Group, have been assisting the business traveler to stay ahead of Mother Nature’s wrath by providing a daily severe weather briefing that highlights the “hot spots” in terms of severe weather not only in the United States, but around the globe. Companies such as McKesson, Hyatt International, and Cardinal Health all subscribe to The Swinden Group’s Severe Weather Advisories to better manage their business traveler’s itineraries and to avoid travel impacting events, such as a tropical cyclone battering Taiwan or a blizzard paralyzing the East Coast of the US.
“What started out as a product geared towards the business continuity and risk managers of Fortune 500 Companies, has now expanded into the corporate travel and corporate aviation departments of those same companies,” says Matthew Swinden, President of The Swinden Group.
The more advanced warning, the better. Knowing that a storm or destructive weather event will occur is critical not only to Crisis Management but also to the business or pleasure traveler. The more advanced warning, the better. The traveler can prepare for the event either by making alternate travel arrangements or by evacuating from a region that is about to be pummeled by a hurricane. The corporate travel manager and/or the business road warrior can then make an informed decision about their business trip and make alternate travel arrangements.
“The Severe Weather Advisories are transmitted to subscribers via email”, says Swinden. “Since most travelers have their emails forwarded to their cell phones, they are always kept ahead of the storm.”
Matthew Swinden founded The Swinden Group in 2007 to provide corporations security, investigations, and risk management services worldwide.
www.TheSwindenGroup.com
Sep
19
Refunds on Cruise Art Auctions
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Park West Gallery which operates art auctions on 85 cruise ships has announced that they will give customers 40 days to return their art purchases and 40 months to exchange them. For details click here.
This action may be the result of a recent New York Times article that focused on the Park West Gallery no returns policy. The story featured cruise passengers who stated the art they purchased was not worth what the Gallery claimed. Read the article “Art Auctions on Cruise Ships Lead to Anger, Accusations and Lawsuits“. You can read more about problems here.
I wonder if cruise operators will pressure their art auction vendors to offer similar return policies.
Sep
8
Delta says that by the middle of next year their entire domestic mainline fleet of aircraft will offer broadband wireless Internet access. First to get the WiFi service will be Delta’s MD88/90 aircraft. The service called GoGo will be provided by Aircell allowing laptops, smartphones and PDA’s unlimited access for $9.95 on flights of less than 3 hours, longer flights will cost $12.95.
American Airlines already has activated GoGo on some of it’s longer 767 flights. Read More
Sep
2
Even with the recent declines in crude oil prices, airlines appear to be continue set with their plans to reduce the number of flights they operate.
Finally, airlines are starting to think like real businesses! Can you believe it? They are actually going to pursue profits!
Now that the massive overstocking by China, as they prepared for the Olympics, is over and prices have moved down around $20 per barrel you might think that the airlines would delay their flight reduction plans. But no, and Wall Street is predicting that the major carriers could soon return to profitability.
Based on the Official Airline Guide (OAG) estimats it looks like US domestic flights will be reduced by 20 million seats from Nov-Dec. Worldwide it looks like a 7% drop in capacity will result in almost 60 million fewer seats during the same period. OAG said this decrease could result in “the most widespread crisis to hit the aviation industry in recent memory.”
Some airlines had planned on expanding flights during 2008, but high fuel costs have put a damper on those plans. Continental wanted to grow 5-7% this year but is now looking at maybe a 2-3% growth rate. The fast growing JetBlue CEO David Barger expects a 10% year over year decrease.
Routes Dropped: Nov 2007 -VS- Nov 2008:
- Midwest Airlines = 43%
- Delta = 24%
- US Airways = 15%
- Continental = 14%
- American = 10%
- United = 4%
- Southwest = 0.5%
But many of these reductions are not due just to increased fuel costs, some of it is the result of a reduced demand for air travel. The steady annual growth since 2002 appears to be coming to an end, an abrupt end as the US and global economies effect travelers and business spending habits.
Many vacationers are becoming aware of what is now called the Stacation option and are saving fuel, reducing the environmental impact and saving money during this economically sensitive time.
UPDATE: Southwest has just announced they will be jumping on board the flight cutting bandwagon. This year Southwest was able to control fuel costs because they had made several long term supply contracts at lower prices. But next year they plan on cutting nearly 200 flights. Southwest still plans on adding 14 new planes in 2009 with older aircraft being retired.
Aug
14
Today the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) fined American Airlines $7.1 million for alleged safety violations due to a deficient drug and alcohol testing program. Read More in the Washington Post.
Aug
13
$10 Bounty On Smoking Hotel Guests
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If you think your going to sneak a cigarette during your next hotel stay be careful, it could cost you a pretty penny.
Swissotel now pays employees $10 to snitch on guests smoking in their room, allowing the hotel to fine/charge the guest a $250 room cleaning fee. Swissotel isn’t the first to charge smoking guests who are in non-smoking rooms, but it appears they are the first to pay its staff a reward. Read more.
In another case a guest at a Courtyard By Marriott was fined because staff had found cigarette butts in his trash. Upon checkout he saw the $250 cleaning fee and told the hotel that he did not smoke in the hotel and that the butts were part of his trash. The property later refunded the fee. North American Marriott and Starwood’s Westin are %100 nonsmoking.
Recently Sheraton and Four Points by Sheraton also announced all of its North American properties will have a $200 room cleaning fee for smokers when the chains become 100% nonsmoking later this year. Walt Disney resorts charge as much as $500 for their cleaning fee.
Aug
6
Kidnapping in Colombia Drops
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A founding member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia has been indicted on terrorism and weapons charges stemming from the kidnapping of three Americans who were rescued last month after five years in captivity.
While the number of people taken hostage has fallen from a record high of 3,572 in 2000 to just 393 last year. Some of these hostages have been held in captivity for years. The trouble makers are the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, or FARC.
But don’t forget that since 1996 1,268 people have died in captivity, 369 have escaped, 443 housewives have been kidnapped, 314 foreigners have been kidnapped.
The US State Department offers this warning.
Jul
30
Delta Raises Fees on 2nd Bag - Delta has doubled it’s second suitcase fee from $25 to $50. They have also increased fees on items that require special handling such as surfboards, skis, bikes, and heavy items. This applies to tickets purchased after July 31. The third bag fee goes from $80 to $125. First bag is still free. First and Business Class ticket holders can still check three bags at no charge. The free baggage perk also applies to upper level Delta frequent flier members.
Atlanta’s Hartsfield Intl is the World’s Busiest- ATL is now the worlds busiest airport terminals serving 89.4 billion passengers in 2007. This is an increase of 6.8% over 2006. So far during 2008 the growth has slowed to a 3% growth rate. Second place went to O’Hare and third place was Heathrow.
Jul
18
And Delta is just the first, and it may not be as bad as it sounds…. An advertising agency says they have cut a deal with five airlines buying space on their consumer printed online boarding-passes. The company will supply the airlines with advertisements, weather updates, coupons, restaurants and event promotions for my tickets destination. With 250 million boarding-passes printed by consumers each year, it could be really opportunity.
This may be one of those rare occasions where, if they really do supply quality info, the clutter of ads may be worth the space they consume. But at some point I’m going to block out all the ad “noise” airlines are pushing at me. From inside the terminal billboards to seat-back tables advertisements.
I understand we will have the ability to opt out of the ads at the time of printing.
Jul
17
Spirit Cruise Ship - National Park Service Photo
On July 7th Cruise West’s ship SPIRIT hit a sandbar and went aground in Alaska’s Glacier Bay on the 3rd day of a 4 day cruise out of Juneau. The accident resulted in no injuries or environmental damage. Initially Cruise West cancelled the next four sailings of the ship, but they have now announced that the rest of the season has been cancelled.
The cruise line has decided to combine the grounding related repairs with the ships regularly scheduled maintenance and refurbishments in Seattle.
Cruise West is giving full refunds to all cancelled passengers in addition to a $500 cruise credit to those who book a future cruise.
Was unable to find any details on the Cruise West website.
Promotional Video From Cruise West:
