focus June 2011 Newsletter newsletter
Consultant’s Corner
Well Spring has sprung and already heading into summer. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims of the recent string of tornados, through the Midwest, especially for the folks in Joplin, Missouri.
Thank you to Jeff Borgerding (VP of Client Relations) for taking over the column last month and his kind words. Previously, I had mentioned that I would share some more bios with you but I want to save that for an upcoming column. Instead, I would like to share a recent experience that I was fortunate to participate in through one of our consortium partners – TravelSavers; a river cruise down the Danube thru Central Europe on the MS Tapestry. David Gorecki Chief Operating Officer Yes – I said river cruising. Now it is not what you think – you are not on a barge but on a vessel especially built for the experience so you can enjoy a five star luxury vacation. Our cruise began in Budapest or as they say Buda and Peche since the Danube splits the city in two. We overnighted in Budapest at the newly opened Continental Hotel Zara, a beautiful modern but quaint European style hotel that preserved the original façade of the building when it was renovated. We had a fun filled day sightseeing, with a fabulous lunch at the world famous Gundel’s hosted by the Hungarian Tourist Board. The highlight for my wife was the Vaci Street Pedestrian Mall – two floors of shops containing food stalls with local goods such as paprika and handmade lace and other items. She Contents: had a great time bargaining with all the vendors. We finished the day on our - Consultant’s Corner... own with a quick stop in the stunning - United Continental adds three new Houston routes... - Wheelchair taxis begin operating in nation’s capital... lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel and - Flight Delays: 5 Things You Must Know About the Weather... the holocaust memorial of the iron - The Setai Fifth Avenue... shoes along the riverbank. - Did you know?... - 11 Best Travel Apps... We boarded our ship the MS Tapestry - DFW International Airport starts first major construction.... by Avalon Waterways that evening - Business travel spending to grow 7 percent... and departed sail for Bratislava, - Travelers turn back to travel agents Slovakia. The MS Tapestry contains three levels with a full dining room and lounge and an upper sky deck. The entire crew was English speaking but from all over the world. State rooms were spacious and modern with sliding glass doors since the ship had been built in 2006. The food was amazing with a six course dinner (open seating) that evening and wine to match the courses.
We arrived at Bratislava in the afternoon and had a beautiful tour of the city highlighted by the Schlosshof Palace as well as a walking tour of the city which was hosting the World Hockey Championships. Folks were out in the café’s sporting the colors of their countries teams. We boarded the ship that evening to Melk and Durnstein in the Wachau Valley in Austria. Continued Consultant’s Corner
Besides Budapest, this was our favorite part of the cruise. The Wachau Valley is a World Heritage Site, with 30 kilometers, of breath taking scenery with small towns, and with beautiful churches and vineyards that dot the country side. All along the river you can see people bicycling and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Durnstein is considered the “Pearl of the Wachau” and it lived up to its name. It is a 900 year old walled city with a distinctive blue and white tower of the Abbey Church. It is also the site where King Richard the Lionheart, King of England was imprisoned. This region is also famous for its white wines and apricots. We had a wine tasting at the five star Schlosshotel whose terrace overlooks the Danube. eW then spent the next hour visiting the shops as we walked along the cobble stone streets. We boarded the ship at noon time and were off to Melk to visit the Melk Abbey. As you cruise along, all of the sudden you see this magnificent structure up the hillside in the valley. It is the Melk Abbey, a retreat designed for Benedictine monks. We docked, and 10 minutes later, via bus, arrived at the Abbey for a walking tour. The abbey is beautiful inside as many of the rooms were restored with original artwork and furniture. The abbey is currently a school with over 900 children in attendance. The library was breath taking with over 85,000 books in it. We ended our tour in the beautiful chapel with a special concert by one of the monks on the pipe organ. Many of us returned to the ship by walking back down the hill thru the picturesque town of Melk stopping along the way at the café’s for refreshments.
Back on the ship that evening, our cruise director hosted a talent contest and we had some pretty interesting talent on display followed by dancing. The ship then made its way back to Vienna for it’s final stop of the abbreviated tour (please note – this was a special charter for a week as the normal itinerary lasts longer depending on where you are going).
We arrived in Vienna the next morning for the final full day of our trip. We were transported into the city for a walking tour visiting a number of sites including the Stephansdom, Austria’s finest gothic building. After our walking tour, we decided to be on our own in lieu of an optional tour to the Schonbrunn Imperial Palace which has some of the most beautiful gardens in the world.
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We took our time visiting a number of different sites including the Kunsthisotrisches Museum with beautiful art works from around the world. It is was such a beautiful day that we spent time walking thru the pedestrian Karntner Strasse sampling an apple strudel with vanilla sauce and a Sacher Torte from the famous Sacher Hotel. The Kartner Strasse contained all types of shops and café’s (yes we did stop at a Starbucks but no green tea).
We ended our day with a run along the Danube thru the city parks. It was just a gorgeous day! Returning to the ship, we were treated to a classical Viennese concert by the band Rondo. Avalon Waterways hosted a gala dinner that evening with a wine pairing for each course and then the band Rondo returned to play classic rock songs on their classic instruments. Everyone had a good time. The next morning bright and early we departed the ship to head back home.
The river cruise was a great experience and a truly five star adventure. eW already know that we want to go back to Central Europe to spend more time in Budapest and instead of a cruise do a bicycle trip along the Danube all the way to Germany. The target market is 50+ and excursions are included but you have to remember that you have many amenities but no midnight buffet like the larger cruise ships but you get to see some of the most beautiful cities in the world. If you are interested in taking a river cruise, reach out to one of our vacation specialists or drop me a note and I would be happy to share more of my experience with you. Till next month, safe travels!!! Thanks! Dtg David Gorecki, COO
United Continental adds three new Houston routes
United Continental launched service to three new cities from Houston Bush Intercontinental, the Houston Chronicle reports.
The new routes are to Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Grand Junction, Colo.; and Montreal. All of service on the new routes will be operated by the company’s regional affiliates.
Continental Express affiliate ExpressJet is flying two daily round-trip flights to both Cedar Rapids and Grand Junction using 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets.
United Express affiliate Shuttle America operates the service on the 1,584-mile flight Montreal, using 70-seat Embraer E170 jets to fly one daily round-trip flight, according to the airline’s website.
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In Iowa, officials at Cedar Rapids’ Eastern Iowa Airport expressed optimism that the Houston flights could pave the way for additional service on United (Continental).
“If Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and regional travelers use the new flights, it would makeThe Eastern Iowa Airport much more attractive to United for additional service, such as non-stop flights to ashington,W D.C., and Newark,” airport director Tim Bradshaw says to The Gazette of Cedar Rapids.
Wheelchair taxis begin operating in nation’s capital
The 20 wheelchair taxis were put into commission Thursday with a $1 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration and $200,000 from the D.C. Taxicab Commission. They are operating under Yellow Cab and Royal Cab.
The taxis are regular minivans that have been modified so that the passenger can roll into the vehicle on a ramp. Passengers pay normal taxi rates, but drivers receive an additional $2 per trip from the grant funding.
The drivers have received special training and a special license from the taxicab commission. More than 12,000 people in Washington travel in wheelchairs.
Flight Delays: 5 Things You Must Know About the Weather
When you think “bad weather” and delayed flights stacking up at the airport, you think blizzards, right? Sure, and no doubt about it, this has been a hellacious winter.
But listen to Air Line Pilots Association First Vice President Capt. Sean Cassidy (he’s also a veteran pilot with Alaska Airlines); bad weather and horrendous delays can happen anytime, anywhere. “Don’t forget we saw snow in Vegas this year,” the pilot said. And some of you will remember when the white stuff came down in Dallas, just in time for the Super Bowl.
And while December, January, February and even March can be truly awful, don’t think weather-related flight delays will disappear now that winter has gone. Indeed, the fun is just getting started.
Why you should care: “The total cost of domestic air traffic delays to the U.S. economy was as much as $41 billion for 2007, including $19 billion in raised airline operating costs,” according to a 2008 congressional report. “Beyond that, it wasted passengers’ precious time -- your time -- and the report even puts a dollar figure on that, as well: $12 billion.
1. Summer weather can be worse than winter. Did you know? Bad weather causes 70 percent of all delays and, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, summers storms are worse. “Unlike winter storms, which take time to develop and move Juneslowly, 2011 summer Newsletter storms can form quickly, stretch for hundreds of miles and travel rapidly overIN largefocus portions Continued Flight Delays: 5 Things You Must Know About the Weather
of the country.” And, of course, as flights get grounded, the dominos begin to fall and a chain reaction of delays affects airports across the nation.
If you like numbers, the government’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics has plenty. During the most recent winter (October 2010 through February 2011), for instance, the worst month for weather-delayed flights was December, with 36.67 percent delays. But May and June were even worse for delays, and July was nearly as bad.
2. Thunderstorms are nastier than you think. To pilots, thunderstorms mean danger, which is why (in coordination with air traffic controllers) they practice “lateral and vertical avoidance” when they become aware such conditions are building up. “Depending on the nature of the thunderstorm activity, you might fly as much as 20 miles or more around a thunderstorm,” Capt. Cassidy said. And, yes, while there are thunderstorms in winter, they are generally far more frequent -- and intense -- in the summer months.
And don’t forget thunderstorms’ ugly step-children: turbulence and hail. “Hail competes with turbulence as the greatest thunderstorm hazard to aircraft,” according to an FAA manual for pilots.
3. Watch out for summer ice. Ice in summer? Planes fly high and it can occur in spring and summer. The author of the Ask a Flight Instructor blog noted he once picked up some “serious rime ice” on the edge of a summer thunderstorm. It happens.
4. Natural disasters can create weather. You probably heard about all those wildfires in Texas recently. These kinds of blazes can sometimes affect what happens above the ground, too.
As the Flight Safety Foundation points out, wildfires can create their own weather. It’s rare, but it happens. It occurred over the greater Los Angeles area in late summer of 2009 when a devastating wildfire there produced a convective column. As the foundation pointed out, “Convective columns of this magnitude are similar to thunderstorms. They contain both updrafts and downdrafts and can produce extreme turbulence.”
5. Random freaks of nature. Time to mention the tornado that hit Lambert-St. Louis International Airport last month. Yes, a freak occurrence and thankfully no one was hurt, but weird things like that can happen. Just ask anyone who was caught up in crippling delays spawned by last year’s eruption of the Icelandic volcano (which one commentator likened to the grounding of planes after 9/11).
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If there’s the slightest chance you could be delayed, contact your airline immediately. He who is first in line to change his itinerary gets the seat, one of the few available empty seats in this age of airline capacity cuts (and if you’re in line to speak to an airline rep, get on the phone to the airline, too).
As said earlier, if you have the slightest suspicion you could be in for a wait at the airport, make sure your phones and electronics are all charged up, a good practice anytime.
Finally, follow airline updates on your carrier’s website and especially on Twitter. Many airlines now monitor this social media feed very carefully and respond to problems quickly and decisively.
The Setai Fifth Avenue by Toni Lamb
Recently had the pleasure of experiencing The Setai Fifth Avenue, a Capella Managed Hotel, which soars more than 60 stories above the famed Midtown stretch of Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue. Occupying one of the finest spots in New York City, The Setai Fifth Avenue boutique hotel, offers guest rooms and amenities that live up to such a prestigious address, and envelopes you in luxurious splendor, with 157 guest rooms and suites and 57 apartment suites.
The Setai Fifth Avenue guest rooms are among the largest
June 2011 Newsletter INfocus Continued The Setai Fifth Avenue in New York City. The modern NYC landmark has 157 elegantly-appointed guest rooms and 57 luxury Avenue Suites, from 400 square feet to a 2,000 square foot Penthouse.
The sensory experience of The Setai Fifth Avenue attests to its status as a modern New York City landmark.
Did you know...? What is an electronic boarding pass, and how can I use one?
Some airlines have upgraded their check-in systems to allow passengers to use their cell phones as a boarding pass instead of using traditional paper ones. You can download an electronic or paper-less boarding pass to your web-enabled device (cell phone, mobile PDA, Blackberry or iPhone, for instance).
The boarding pass looks like a square bar code, which stores passenger name and flight information. At the security checkpoint, you will display the bar code and security will confirm the authenticity of the code by using a hand-held scanner.
You will still need to show personal ID. The electronic boarding pass also works at the airline gates.
If your cellphone or mobile device happens to lose power, you will need to get a paper boarding pass from an airline kiosk or check-in counter at the airport.
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How to get an electronic or paperless boarding pass
1. Use the online check-in at the airline website or a special mobile check-in link.
2. During online check-in, select a special option (such as ‘email to cell phone’).
3. The airline will send you an email, which includes a link to retrieve the boarding pass.
4. Using that link, you will save the boarding pass to your mobile device.
5. You will display the boarding pass screen to security and airline personnel (along with personal ID).
11 Best Travel Apps
Smartphone apps make the world go ‘round, and some just help us get around the world. Just think of all the everyday travel mishaps (language barriers, bad meals, flight delays) that are easy to avoid if only phones were armed with handy apps.
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• AllSubway HD takes the confusion out of confusing undergrounds (ahem, London). The travel app features subway maps for about 128 different cities around the world, from Amsterdam to Sydney to Vancouver. Each map is available offline, which is perfect for navigating from the depths of the metro. Cost $.99
• FlightBoard may be a simple app, but it’s an invaluable one. With FlightBoard, users can view any airport’s Arrivals and Departures screen on a phone and receive push alerts with real-time flight updates. It also allows users to communicate delays via Twitter, email or Facebook. Cost: $3.99 for FlightBoard, $4.99 for FlightTrack
• The social website, Foodspotting, allows users to recommend specific dishes at restaurants and “nom” (nominate) the dishes they absolutely love. The app also shows nearby restaurants, selects best dishes and allows photo sharing. Cost: Free
• Avoid “connection withdrawal” with the Free Wi-Fi Finder app. The database of hotspots is updated weekly (users can add new locations themselves, too). No internet connection needed. Cost: Free
• Google Translate might be one of the most useful apps those not adept in languages. It can translate words and phrases into 57 different languages using voice recognition software. Speak (or type) the phrase and the translation will appear on the screen, or depending on the language, on audio playback (not all languages offer audio playback just yet). Cost: Free
• Gowalla resembles the popular social location bookmarking site, FourSquare, but this free app was made specifically with the traveler in mind. Gowalla allows people to check in and review places; it also allows users to build up virtual passports, follow pre-planned trips, share photos with friends, and earn rewards. Cost: Free
• National Parks Maps HD; Gain access to high-resolution trail maps in 15 different national parks across the country, including Yellowstone, Grand Canyon , and Yosemite. The allows trip-planning, showing points of interests in the parks, and, best of all, pinpoint exact locations on the map to avoid unnecessary detours. Cost: $4.99
• Share-a-bill; For anyone that has ever struggled trying to figure out who owes what when sharing the cost of a trip
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or even just a dinner tab, the Share-a-bill app for iPhone and iPad is a godsend. How it works? Simply input participating individuals (use coefficients to manage specific costs, e.g. Sally had a salad so she only owes $10) and see how the numbers fall. The transfer option allows easy debt settling. Cost: $3.99 full version, free lite version
• The Word Lens app offers an immediate translation service using an iPhone or iPad’sthe camera. Hover over the text in question and the translation appears almost instantaneously. It’s like x-ray vision, but instead of seeing through something, users see another version in place of the original. Cost: $9.99 per language pack
• SitOrSquat: It may seem right out of a “Seinfeld” episode (in fact, George Costanza invented the fictional version “iToilet” on an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) but locating the nearest – and cleanest – loo in a foreign city is no small feat SitOrSquat simplifies the search. Its database contains the location of over 100,000 toilets around the world and growing. Search by city, zip code, or, best of all, geolocation.Toilets also come with ratings (a sit or squat stamp depending on cleanliness), sometimes a photo, and a note if the location of the toilet is currently closed. Cost: Free
• The latest app from Autoblog conveniently includes connectivity to AutoblogGreen (for eco-fiends), Translogic (for techies) and AOL Autos Best Deal Program (for constant car shoppers). Users can also surf the latest in auto news and browse galleries of the latest cars and auto accessories. Cost: Free
DFW International Airport starts first major construction phase - $1.9 billion renovation
The US airport, sited halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth in Texas, said a seven-year renovation of its four original terminals commenced on Wednesday in Terminal A, where Gates A9 through to A11 and one of the three parking garages in Terminal A will be renewed by 2014.
Improvements being made in the TRIP project include renovations of Terminals A, B, C and E; improvements for passenger services such as ticketing, security and concessions; and the replacement of terminal systems including electrical, plumbing and ventilation. The entire Workers packed up items at a Hudson Booksellers store Wednesday at D/FW project is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. International Airport’s Terminal A. The airport launched the first major phase of its $1.9 billion Terminal Renewal and Improvement Program on Wednesday. June 2011 Newsletter INfocus Business travel spending to grow 7 percent
Business travelers are forecast to spend $245.8 billion this year, up nearly 7 percent from 2010, thanks to improving economic conditions and increasing corporate confidence, an industry trade group said Tuesday. That prediction is $6.5 billion better than an outlook released in January, and growth is expected to continue at least through 2012.
“These are very heartening signs. Business travel spending is coming back at robust levels, indicating the shape of things to come — namely more travelers on the road, an improving economy and a positive environment for continued job growth,” Michael W. McCormick, executive director of the Global Business Travel Association said in a statement.
Spending picked up at the end of 2010, with business travelers taking 113.6 million trips during the fourth quarter. They spent $60.6 billion, up more than 12 percent from the same period in 2009. For the first quarter of 2011, preliminary numbers show that travelers spent $60.2 billion, up 4 percent from the year before. Half of this year’s spending growth will come from more expensive airfare, hotels, car rentals and meals. The average business trip in 2010 cost $533, according to the group. For 2011, it is expected to climb 3.4 percent to $551. Pricier international travel is also growing faster than domestic trips.
While the industry is concerned about the higher price of oil, the association said it would not derail travel. If oil hits $150 a barrel, the group expects business travelers to spend $5.8 billion, or 1.5 percent less and make 700,000 fewer trips during 2012 and 2013. A scenario at $200 a barrel would lead to an expected loss of $9 billion in spending and 2.7million fewer trips but would not stop the overall growth in travel, the association said.
Travelers turn back to travel agents
On New Year’s Day, James Vaughn gave his travel agent a tough assignment: Book a 10-day trip to India. Departure date: Jan. 13.
It took David Rubin of DavidTravel in Corona Del Mar, Calif., just 48 hours to book flights and hotel rooms and hire tour guides. He even called the manager of a sold- out hotel and finagled a room out of him.
But the work didn’t end once Vaughn and his husband boarded their flight from Los Angeles to Delhi. When their flight from Delhi to Agra to see the Taj Mahal was canceled, Rubin came to the rescue. “They would have been on the phone for the next several hours trying to sort out what to do,” he said.
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Instead, they went sightseeing while Rubin’s local contacts did the sorting. By the time the couple returned to their hotel, their bags had been packed and loaded into a car, and a driver whisked them off to Agra.
The irony, Vaughn said, is that Rubin had initially tried to get them to drive to Agra rather than fly, but they hadn’t taken his advice. “Ultimately, he was right,” said Vaughn, a public-affairs consultant. “Seeing a camel going through a toll booth on a highway is not something you get to see while you’re flying.”
For years, it looked as though the travel agent had gone the way of the milkman. As online booking sites such as Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity and others soared in popularity, travel agents became the butt of jokes. A scene from a “30 Rock” episode this season said it all. Desperate at the prospect of losing her writing job, Liz Lemon is invited to live in a subway tunnel with people whose occupations have become irrelevant: an American auto worker, a rock band saxophonist, the CEO of Friendster — and a travel agent.
But the travel agent has been given a reprieve. That’s because many vacations have become as hard to plan as the name of last year’s traveler-stranding Icelandic volcano was to pronounce. Natural disasters cause flight cancellations. Revolutions put tourist destinations off-limits. Airlines and rental car agencies confound with ever-increasing fees. And the Internet spews so much
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information that it manages to hurt consumers as much as it helps them.
Travelers are starting to need vacations from planning their vacations.
“Not only are customers confused and frustrated by new airline fees and events, but they are bombarded by social media,” said John Clifford, president of the luxury travel consultancy InternationalTravelManagement.com. “Everyone is trying to tell you where you should stay, where you should eat, what you should do.”
A study by Forrester Research found that the number of leisure travelers who enjoyed using the Web to plan and book their vacations dropped from 53 percent in 2007 to 47 percent in 2010. And in an American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) survey, 44 percent of agents said that they had more clients in 2010 than they’d had the previous year, with the strongest rebound in rail and hotel reservations.
Travelers “don’t have hours to spend on research to compare multiple flights, multiple cruises, multiple packages,” said Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst at Forrester Research. “It’s not unlike doing your taxes. Depending on who you are, what your priorities are, there are some people who will choose to do it themselves or to use a professional.”
Vaughn used to plan his own vacations, but three years ago, when his trips got more elaborate, he decided to turn to Rubin. Lately, he’s been turning to Rubin for even the easy trips. For a one-week jaunt to New York, Rubin gave him a list of off-the-beaten-path places to visit. “It’s convenient,” Vaughn said. “I could paint my house or change the oil in my car, but I don’t have the knowledge or the time to do it the best way possible.”
Credit commercial aviation with the rise of the travel agent in the 1920s. Blame online booking sites for the travel agent’s fall in the ’90s. With airfare schedules, hotels and rental-car reservations just a few clicks away, travelers dumped their agents.
In 2001, there were 37,981 travel agencies, according to ARC, a company that provides financial services to travel agencies, airlines and travel suppliers. As of March, there were 16,564. Lauri Reishus, vice president of operations for ARC, said that much of that decline is due to the consolidation of agencies.
The travel agents who have survived have had to change their modus operandi. Airlines used to pay them commissions, but not anymore. To make up for that, most agents now charge fees in addition to receiving some commissions from cruise or tour operators. The average fee agents charge for buying a plane ticket, for instance, is $36. Of the 111,000 travel agents in the United States, 28 percent are now home-based, and to compete with online travel sites, they have to be available to their clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And most now have specialties. June 2011 Newsletter INfocus Continued Travelers turn back to travel agents
“Consumers are looking for specialists. They want a destination wedding specialist, an Africa specialist, a Puerto Rico specialist,” said Tony Gonchar, chief executive of ASTA.
What hasn’t changed, agents say, is the relationships they can build with vendors. Many travel agents can get their clients upgrades or perks, such as breakfast or a welcome cocktail, at hotels they use often. Many are also part of a buying consortium that negotiates special rates with hotels, tour operators and other vendors.
Which raises the question: Do agents steer clients to certain vendors just because they pay commissions?
“I often thought the travel agent I used was trying to sell me what was in their brochure without ever considering my needs or knowing anything about the hotel they were recommending,” said Allison Umbricht of Fairfield, Conn.
Ironically, this spurred her to become a travel agent herself. A former accountant, she started Trips of a Lifetime eight years ago. When clients turn to her to plan a vacation, she has long conversations with them about their needs, wants and expectations. Then she prices out different options with different vendors and breaks everything down for the client.
“We know that once we get a customer, we can keep them for life if we do a great job,” she said.
Ann Lombardi, a travel consultant with the Trip Chicks in Atlanta, said that she often ends up with customers who try to book their vacations on their own but then come upon some hurdle.
“Somebody pushed a button too soon and didn’t realize the airfare didn’t include several hundred dollars of taxes,” she said. “Or they didn’t monitor their flight and found out it’s changed and they can’t connect with their tour or cruise. Gone are the days when travel agents rack up commissions without doing anything. We’re consultants. We’re not just clerks.”
Michelle Gamble-Risley of Fair Oaks, Calif., books most of her vacations through an agent. On one occasion, though, she thought that she could arrange a stay at Disneyland’s Grand Californian hotel on her own. But she couldn’t get the room she wanted, and she couldn’t get dining coupons. She talked to one employee who gave her incorrect information. Frustrated, she called her agent, who happens to be a Disney specialist.
“I went to her after I screwed up, tail between my legs,” said the chief executive of a publishing company. “That’s what a good travel agent would do. If you make a mistake, they clean up your mess.”
Sometimes, however, it’s the agent who makes the mess.
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A couple of years ago, Marian Thier, a leadership consultant in Boulder, Colo., had to go to Charleston, W.Va., on business. A travel agent arranged the trip for her and nine team members. Thier got her boarding pass and proceeded to the gate, where she noticed that the destination sign was for Charleston, S.C. Thinking it impossible that the travel agent had screwed up, she told an airline employee that the gate had the incorrect city posted. The gate agent chuckled. Thier glanced at her boarding pass again; sure enough, she was booked to Charleston, S.C.
The travel agency re-booked the group, covered all the change fees and bought everybody a round of drinks.
The lines blur
The travel agent’s comeback doesn’t mean that online travel booking is losing its luster. PhoCusWright, a travel-industry research firm, predicts that global online travel booking will grow 1 percent in 2011 to $284 billion and 10 percent in 2012 to $313 billion. By 2012, one-third of the world’s travel sales will be booked online.
The online travel community would argue that it has formed a symbiotic relationship with brick and mortar travel agents. Most travel agents use online tools to book their travel. Often, these are sites that the average consumer doesn’t have access to. Orbitz, for instance, has developed Orbitz for Agents, which gives more than 7,500 offline agents special access to its inventory.
“It’s no longer a case of us versus them,” said Brian Hoyt, vice president of corporate communications and government affairs at Orbitz. “The line is blurred.”
Andrew Weinstein, a spokesman for the Interactive Travel Services Association, an industry trade group that represents Expedia and other sites, said that all the online booking companies now have employees available to talk to customers by phone or instant message. Travelocity, for instance, has customer support available 24/7.
“There are no online companies that aren’t providing real world customer support,” Weinstein said. “What you’re really finding is the digitization of travel, offline or online.”
There are some travelers who will always want to do things on their own. Ellen Robin and her husband, Nelson, Germantown residents who own a software consulting company, are diehard do-it-yourself vacation planners. They’ve planned trips to Europe, Israel, Canada, Mexico and other international destinations on their own. They like being able to look at all the options, read the reviews, study the menus and decide for themselves where to go and what to do. They even manage to find apartment rentals overseas. Their tools: guidebooks (yes, they’re still around), online reviews and recommendations from friends.
“I don’t see how a travel agent would add any value,” Robin said. “Who knows best what and when we’d like to do things? We do.”
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