Travel Smart Travel News

TravelSmart Travel News

September 2010
When it comes to your vacation plans the most important person should be your Travel Planner. An expert travel planner is a person who is well traveled, knowledgeable and trained to meet your travel and vacation needs. Not only will they find you the best value for your travel dollar, they will be the go to person if things go wrong. With new rules and travel restrictions coming out daily, by our government, you need a Travel Agent to keep you informed and safe during your travel. I am proud to announce I have expanded Travel Smart to include  America’s Vacation Center and American Express to serve you in all your travel need. To view the most up to date information please go to my website: www.CruisesbyCaptBob.com .

Featured Section:

Getting the Best Air Fares:

There is a wide variety of air fares available to travelers. This fact sheet will help you choose the one that’s best for you.

Be flexible in your travel plans in order to get the lowest fare. The best deals may be limited to travel on certain days of the week (often Tuesday through Thursday, or Friday night through Sunday morning) or particular hours of the day (e.g., late-night departures). This applies to each of your flights, not just the first flight in your itinerary. After you get a fare quote, ask the reservations agent if you could save even more by flying a day earlier or later, or by taking a different flight on the same day. Or simply ask the agent what the lowest fare is, and what you need to do to qualify for it.

Discount seats are usually “blacked out” during holiday periods. However, you might be able to get a discount fare if you fly on the holiday itself (e.g., New Year’s day).

Plan as far ahead as you can. Most airlines set aside only a few seats on many desirable flights at the lower rates. The real best bargains often sell out very quickly. On the other hand, if a particular flight is not selling as well as expected, air carriers sometimes make more discount seats available for a particular flight just before the advance-purchase deadline expires. For example, if the lowest fare has a 21-day advance-purchase requirement but is sold out for most dates, and you can go any time, ask about fare availability on flights 21 or 22 days from when you call.

While planning ahead is a good general rule, if you can bide your time you might encounter a “fare sale.” Many airlines put seats on sale for brief periods several times a year (although you usually can purchase tickets for flights weeks or months after the end of the sale period). It is difficult to predict when these sales will occur, although they often fall during times when people are less likely to buy airline tickets (e.g. early autumn or right immediately after New Years).

In a large metropolitan area, the fare could depend on which airport you use. For example, if you are going to Southeast Florida and plan to rent a car, it might not make much difference if you fly to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, except for ticket price. Also, a connection (change of planes) or a one-stop flight is sometimes cheaper than a nonstop. Always check on alternate airports and routings when pricing a ticket.

Look into all airlines that serve the market you are interested in, including low-cost carriers that offer low fares. Many times the major carriers will match the fares of a low-cost airline between the same cities; but often this will only be for a certain limited number of seats on each flight. On a low-cost carrier, find out what you get for your money: baggage transfers from one carrier to another, meals, advance seat assignments, etc. Note that small airlines sometimes have only one flight per day in many markets, and they frequently will not reroute you on another airline if your flight is canceled or delayed. In such cases you may have to wait until the next day to fly.

Ask about all restrictions on your fare. Typical requirements for discount fares include purchasing a round-trip ticket, buying the ticket a certain number of days before departure (e.g., for many fares, at least 14 or 21 days before you leave), purchasing the ticket within 24 hours of making a reservation, staying over a Saturday night, traveling during a certain time of the year, staying no more than 30 days, and, as discussed below, refund/change restrictions.

Ask about your ability to change or cancel your flight if you need to. Even if you get sick, you cannot assume you will get a refund. In fact, most discount tickets now are non-refundable, but can be applied toward the purchase of other tickets on the same carrier. You must usually pay an administrative charge and any difference between the fares for the old and new flights when you do this.

Consider using a travel agent. Agents usually do not charge a fee (they get a commission from the airline), and they can tell you about “consolidators” and other sources of discounted seats that are not available directly from the airline. However, consolidator seats can have even more severe restrictions than the airlines’ own deep-discount fares, particularly if the flight is delayed or canceled. A few travel agents sometimes have access to special deals with a particular airline (either discounts or extra services). If you are flying to a popular foreign destination, or to Las Vegas or Hawaii, ask the travel agent about Public Charters. These charters sometimes offer lower fares, but again with significant restrictions that are spelled out in an operator/participant contract that you should review carefully.

Ask the travel agent if the city where you live or the city where you are going is an airline “hub.” If it is, fares may be higher than for flights to other nearby cities because of reduced competition. Someone who lives at a hub might save money by leaving from another nearby city, even if they end up connecting through the hub to get to their destination.

A number of airlines send e-mail messages every week to receive notification of last-minute fare specials for departures within the next few days. See the airlines’ World Wide Web sites for information about these programs, or call their reservations line. For a list of airline web sites, go to http://www.airlines.com (Do not assume that an airline reservation agent or travel agent will be aware of the fares offered to e-mail subscribers.)

Many airlines offer a seniors discount off any fare to travelers over a certain age. In addition, some carriers offer bereavement and emergency illness fares with varying documentation requirements and discounts.

If you are a member of an airline’s frequent-flyer program and you are considering buying a promotional or deep-discount fare, ask if that fare will earn frequent-flyer miles.

After you buy your ticket, you may wish to call the airline or travel agent once or twice before departure to confirm your reservations and check the fare. Fares change all the time, and if that same fare goes down before you fly, some airlines will refund the difference. But you have to ask.

American Express Business Travel says its figures show improving demand for business travel, which is giving some pricing power back to suppliers, particularly airlines. Airfare rates are holding steady and business travelers are trickling back to the front of the plane. The hotel sector still lags in pricing power, but demand will continue to better position its rebound, while simultaneously going through a shift in destination trends — signaling the on-going transition and staying power of the “new normal” in business travel.

International airfares increased 3 percent year over year, while domestic fares were up 6 percent. Historically there has been close to an even split of passengers flying businesses class versus economy for international travel. However, during the heart of the recession last year — particularly in the second quarter of 2009 — the percentage of tickets booked in business class hit its lowest rate at 36 percent. As the trend now shows, percentage rates are on the rise, indicating business travelers are moving back to the front of the plane.

American Express said that despite the modest return in business travel, hotel prices are still lagging because unlike the airlines where planes could be grounded to accommodate change in demand, the same cannot be said for a hotel. Because of this, hotel suppliers are lacking pricing power even as travelers return to the road – keeping rates low. But as the recovery continually gains momentum, higher occupancy levels will position suppliers to begin demanding premium pricing again – and buyers should work to cultivate supplier relationships now to mitigate future price increases.

London, Paris, Frankfurt, Dubai and Amsterdam were the top cities for business travelers in 2009. While the destinations have remained the same in the first quarter of 2010, ranking has not. In 2010, London remained in the top spot, with Frankfurt pushing into the number two spot, seeing a growth of 28 percent more trips, while Paris fell to number three. Amsterdam surpassed Dubai to take the fourth spot, with Dubai seeing 21 percent fewer trips this year. In Asia, the top three business travel destinations remain the same for the first quarter of 2010 compared with the first quarter 2009: Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore. Hong Kong, however, was pushed out by Beijing as the fourth most popular business travel hot spot in 2010. For more information, visit www.americanexpress.com.

For more  information please contact me at TravelSmart@WildBlue.net or call at 360-687-9579.

AMA Waterways has expanded its fleet of vessels to 12 with the launch of the 162-passenger Amabella, which will be marketed primarily in the Australian market. The Amabella’s features include staterooms averaging 214 square feet and double balconies. Amabella also has a chef’s table restaurant that seats 24 and has a private chef, a library with fireplace and a swimming pool.
The vessel also features AMA Waterways’ newly-upgraded infotainment system, offering complimentary high-speed Internet access, complimentary first-run movies, classic films and computing options for those maintaining email contact or blogging during their holiday. The entire vessel has complimentary Wi-Fi as do all the AMA Waterways vessels on the Danube, Rhine, Main and Mosel rivers.
Amabella joins Amadolce (2009), Amalyra (2009), Amadante (2008), Amacello (2008), Amalegro (2007) and Amadagio (2006), ships with French balconies, complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with dinner, and a fleet of bicycles for passenger use. In 2011 the line will launch Amaverde in Europe, a sister ship to Amabella.
In Southeast Asia, the new Amalotus will join La Marguerite, which debuted on the Mekong River in autumn 2009 as part of the new “Vietnam, Cambodia and the Riches of the Mekong” itinerary. The company said it is building a new Mekong ship because of the “tremendous success” of the inaugural season of the program. The 124-passenger Amalotus will feature 226-square-foot deluxe staterooms, with more than 82 percent featuring balconies. Junior suites are 290 square feet and suites are 452 square feet. Like La Marguerite, Amalotus will sail seven-night Mekong River between from Siem Reap, Cambodia, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
In Russia, the refurbished Amakatarina will launch in the spring on the Volga-Baltic Waterway between Moscow and St. Petersburg. The vessel will have 10 stateroom categories, including four suite categories and accommodations up to 432 square feet. Seventy-six staterooms have balconies, and the vessel will include an alternative restaurant, conference hall, sauna and solarium. AMA Waterways also continues to offer its “Provence & Spain” program featuring a seven-night cruise from Lyon to Arles on the Swiss Pearl. For more information, call 800-626-0126 or visit www.amawaterways.com.

Costa Cruises’ newest ship, the Costa Favolosa, took to the sea for the first time on Friday, Aug. 6, at a ceremony held at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard. The 114,500-ton, 3,000-passenger Favolosa will sail on its first cruise in July 2011. It is the fourth of five ships delivered or set to be delivered between 2009 and 2012 for Costa. The total investment in the five new ships is worth 2.4 billion euros. In spring 2012, the Costa Fascinosa, a sister ship to Favolosa, will complete Costa’s fleet expansion program.
“The launch of the Costa Favolosa confirms the strength and leadership of our company,” said Gianni Onorato, president of Costa Crociere S.p.A. “Despite the ongoing effects of the economic downturn in 2010 and the uncertain outlook for global tourism, our fleet expansion program has continued uninterrupted. The strength of our brand, which comes with a guarantee of over 60 years of experience, and the quality of our product have proved to be winning assets, highly appreciated by our customers. That is confirmed also by the positive results in terms of bookings achieved this summer and forecasts suggest we will end 2010 with 2.1 million total guests for the group as a whole, which works out to an increase of around 17 percent compared to last year.”
The construction of each newbuild involves the labor of around 3,000 people, comprising Fincantieri’s own employees and those of about 500 contracted suppliers, most of which are Italian firms. In overall terms, the fleet investment program launched in 2000 by Costa Crociere S.p.A. Group (comprising Costa Cruises as well as the German AIDA Cruises and Iberocruceros, which operates mainly for the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking markets) is worth some 9.3 billion euros.
The ceremony for the launch of the Costa Favolosa observed the protocol laid down for such occasions by seafaring tradition. The director of the shipyard invited the godmother, Beatrice Siri, to cut the ribbon, sending a bottle of champagne against the bow of the ship. Siri, new building and special projects deputy of Costa Cruises, has been directly involved in the construction of the fleet’s last six ships, including the Costa Favolosa. On March 8, she received the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic from the president of the republic, Giorgio Napolitano. After the opening of the valves and the gradual flooding of the slipway where the ship has taken shape over the last few months, the hull of the Costa Favolosa was transferred for the first time to the sea. The launch was preceded by the welding of a coin to the base of what used to be the mainmast in a ceremony traditionally considered to augur well.
As the name suggests (Favola is Italian for “fairy tale”), the Costa Favolosa is intended to interpret the excitement and emotion of people who view the cruise as a magical voyage in a contemporary enchanted castle. The main innovations onboard include six suites with private verandas and Jacuzzis; a new entertainment area for teenagers, comprising 4D Cinema, PlayStation World, a bar with ice cream, drinks and popcorn, and a dance floor; a children’s game room; and a new open-air water playground with a pirate galleon. Facilities will include the Samsara Spa; a large lido extending over two decks, with a sliding glass roof and giant movie screen; a Grand Prix driving simulator; and a golf simulator.
The Costa Favolosa will be equipped for “cold ironing,” a system whereby the ship is plugged into shoreside electrical power, enabling generators to be shut down during stopovers in port.
The Costa Favolosa is set to debut on a three-day cruise departing from Venice on July 4, 2011, and calling at Dubrovnik, Croatia, and Koper, Slovenia. This will be followed by a grand inaugural cruise, which leaves Venice on July 7. This 10-day cruise will visit Israel, Greece and Turkey with stopovers in Bari, Corfu, Haifa, Izmir and Dubrovnik. Throughout the 2011 summer season, the Costa Favolosa will offer seven-day cruises from Venice and Bari, Italy, to Olympia, Greece; Izmir and Istanbul, Turkey; and Dubrovnik, Croatia. For more information, call 800-GO-COSTA or visit www.costacruises.com.

About TravelSmart News:

TravelSmartbyKandB.com and CruisesByCaptBob.com are full service on line travel agency with you the customer being our highest priority. Even though we are webbed based we give you both the ease of booking travel on the web or the convenience of a full service Travel Agency.  The personal touch is our different and our motto is We take the planning out of your Travel Plans.

Travel Smart Travel newsletter was started to help inform you, the traveler, of new trends, travel tips or hot travel deals in the travel industry, With the advent of the internet and the informational highway growing by leaps and bounds it is very difficult to keep up on all the travel news. Please refer to my travel blog often for your Travel news and updates at www.cruiesebycaptbob.com.

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Quick Tip

Keep your passport up to date. Check your expiration date before making your travel plans. It is a very disappointing to arrive at the airport and to be told your passport is about to expire and that you can not continue on your vacation. Remember to always make a copy of your passport just incase of loss. A copy of your passport will expedite getting a new one.

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TravelSmart/Avoya Travel, BattleGround Wa. 98604
Direct Phone: (360) 687-9579 -1-800-308-3077

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