Archives April 2, 2008 Travel News

CSTAR RAISES ISSUES ON PAPER TICKETING

CSTAR calls for agencies to identify circumstances in which paper tickets are still being issued; call for submissions, comments by Apr. 8th

This morning CSTAR issued a bulletin raising its concerns about IATA’s scheduled elimination of paper tickets from all BSPs by June 1, 2008. CSTAR notes that “For all agencies, group travel, around the world travel, infant ticketing, tickets with open segments, and travel to/from interior points on small or regional airlines are some of the additional instances for which electronic ticketing will largely be impossible.” CSTAR would like agencies’ help in identifying situations where “[your agency] continues to issue paper tickets and the impact on your agency if you were unable to continue issuing paper tickets. It would also be helpful to know the average number of paper tickets issued by your agency on a monthly basis." Read on for more details. [Full text and pictures]

LAS VEGAS IN 72 HOURS: PART 3

Travel to different places in the world, all in the same city!
Charmaine Pang

First stop, ancient Rome - Caesars Palace

Today marks the final installation of the three-part TRAVELHotNews.com story on Las Vegas. Last month, members of the travel trade media were invited to experience three days in Las Vegas, courtesy of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors’ Authority (LVCVA) and WestJet. There’s nowhere else on earth where one can travel to different cities, places, and eras than in Las Vegas. Ancient Rome, a tropical paradise, one of the greatest cities in America (and beyond), festive Brazil, and many more locations await – all you have to do is hotel-hop and explore. Read on for the full story. [Full text and pictures]

WESTJET JOKES AROUND FOR APRIL FOOL’S

WestJet introduces "sleeper cabins" as April Fool's joke

New overhead "sleeper cabins" from WestJet

Yesterday WestJet transmitted a press release announcing their new “sleeper cabins” on all flights, available for an additional $12. An accompanying photo showed an overhead luggage compartment as the “sleeper cabin”, with a guest trying out the new sleeping arrangement. Did you catch the joke? Happy belated April Fool’s!

ADVANTAGE TRAVEL: MARKETING & CRUISE CO-ORDINATOR

Carmen Wood, new Marketing & Cruise Co-ordinator at Advantage Travel

Carmen Wood joins Advantage Travel with a solid background in the travel industry
Advantage Travel has announced the addition of Carmen Wood as Marketing and Cruise Co-ordinator. She comes with a varied travel background that includes retail sales, management, ownership as well as tour operator business development and consultant. Wood is no stranger to the needs and issues of affiliates, as she owned and managed an Algonquin Travel agency for 8 years as well as worked on the road in a sales capacity for Sunquest in the Ottawa region. This hands-on knowledge will be valuable for her new role in handling operations for Advantage's Cruise Groups as well as its marketing initiatives developed for Advantage Affiliates across Canada. Contact Carmen Wood in English or French at cwood@advantage4travel.ca or 905-206-0717, extension 1007.

AC LAUNCHES TRAVEL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Customers experiencing unexpected delays can get hotel nights & meals when choosing optional ‘On My Way’ program

Air Canada now offers a comprehensive travel assistance service for customers affected by flight delays or travel disruptions beyond the control of airlines. The new service, called "On My Way," provides customers with speedy phone access to specially trained Air Canada customer service agents who will provide travel and accommodation solutions for customers whose plans have been disrupted by factors such as adverse weather conditions or airport and air traffic delays. Air Canada's 'On My Way' optional assistance service will cost $25 for short-haul flights (up to 1609 km / 1000 miles) or $35 for long haul flights (1610 or more km / 1001 miles), each way ($CAD or $USD). Continue reading for full details. [Full text and pictures]

AGENTS CAN WIN A CRUISE WITH PRINCESS

Princess Academy graduates can compete in quizzes to win prizes, including a free cruise on Ruby Princess

Travel agents who've reached the top Commodore level of Princess' acclaimed online training program, Princess Academy, will have a unique opportunity to put their knowledge to the test with today's launch of the Ultimate Princess Commodore Competition. This brand new Academy feature, the industry's first online gaming contest, lets Commodore agents compete in an entertaining challenge to win a variety of prizes, including a chance to sail on the new Ruby Princess, or be invited to the ship's naming festivities later this year. Players can join the fun at Princess' travel agent site at onesourcescruises.com. The contest, which runs through August 31, 2008, features a different round of questions each month and the daily results are shown on a leader board so agents will be able to view and compare their scores. [Full text and pictures]

AIRLINES IN HAWAII FILLING THE GAP

Aloha Airlines ceases passenger operations; other airlines adding 10,000 new seats for interisland service

Other airlines are stepping in to fill the gap Aloha Airlines has left

State tourism officials are confident that airlines providing flights between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii will quickly fill the void left by the sudden shut down of Honolulu-based carrier Aloha Airlines on Monday, March 31, and report that interisland airlines have moved swiftly to boost air travel capacity around the Hawaiian Islands. Aloha Airlines filed for its second bankruptcy in three years on March 20. On Tuesday, three carriers added about 10,000 new seats to interisland service by flying more frequent schedules and by adding aircraft. The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau has created a special webpage at GoHawaii.com/AlohaAirlines to inform stranded Aloha passengers about the various offers that are being provided by transpacific and interisland carriers. Read on for additional details. [Full text and pictures]

AIR FRANCE LAUNCHES MOBILE PHONE SERVICE

Partnership with OnAir allows passengers to make and receive voice calls in-flight

Air France and OnAir have announced the launch of a trial of inflight voice calls. Air France’s is the first inflight mobile phone service to offer the full range of mobile communications services, including voice, SMS and email. Air France and OnAir have been trialling the first international inflight mobile phone service since mid-December 2007. During the first three months, passengers were able to send and receive SMS text messages and emails, including attachments. The Air France trial is running on an Airbus A318 operating on routes in Europe. Customers are informed about the service via seat-back leaflets and cabin crew announcements. As during the first part of the trial, customers will be able to give their opinion on this new service. Their feedback and comments will enable Air France to assess their level of satisfaction. Read on for more. [Full text and pictures]