US Plans New Travel Restrictions for Europeans

Europeans wanting to travel to the US without visas will now have to seek permission 48 hours prior to departure, US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday.

Chertoff told Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine that Europeans from 13 EU states entering the US under a visa waiver programme should now register online and submit a questionnaire 48 hours before they fly.

“We want to increase the levels of security with an electronic authorisation,” Chertoff said in an interview with the weekly to be published tomorrow.

The man in charge of maintaining America’s homeland security said the measures were being introduced because of the threat posed by Islamist extremists in Europe.

“When we are identifying areas where we are vulnerable, it becomes obvious that Europeans travelling without visas belong to these areas,” Chertoff said.

US and European representatives are currently renegotiating a data-sharing deal struck last October that allows US agencies involved in fighting terrorism to have conditional access to passenger data, if they uphold privacy standards.

The data - including credit card, passport and telephone details - is made available to US customs authorities, who are able to log on to airline computers unseen and withdraw dozens of pieces of information at any time.

In the Der Spiegel interview, Chertoff reaffirmed Washington’s tough stance on the issue.

“Ultimately, the Europeans should realise that we will never let another government decide who comes into the country.”

Chertoff did not say when the new, tighter measures would be introduced.

China’s travel itinerary grows

Standing atop the Empire State Building and looking out on the expanse of glinting skyscrapers and miniature yellow taxicabs, Lili Ma had no doubt New York was the place to be on her vacation from China.

“Everybody needs to bite the Big Apple,” the 36-year-old said with a smile.

Mass tourism advertising for New York — and for the U.S. as a whole — is still forbidden in Ma’s native China. But everyone knows about this place, she said. Her friends all watch “Sex and the City,” and even her mother has heard of California and New York.

That name recognition, coupled with a growing interest in tourism among Chinese who have seen their incomes rise while travel restrictions have lessened, could bring a fortune to hotels, tour companies and attractions around the U.S.

The number of Chinese who travel outside their homeland each year is expected to nearly triple to 100 million people by 2020, and American cities and businesses are positioning themselves to profit from what they hope will be a tourist boom. They are establishing offices in China, and lobbying the government to ease restrictions on travel to the U.S.

“In the next 10 years, it will probably dwarf any overseas market we may have, with the potential to dwarf all overseas markets combined,” said Bruce Bommarito, vice president of international market development for the Travel Industry Association.

While the number of Chinese visitors has been increasing, they certainly haven’t been overrunning American tourist attractions. Just 320,000 Chinese — 1.5 percent of all overseas visitors — traveled to the U.S in 2006. Of the Chinese who left the mainland, fewer than 1 in 100 headed for the U.S., according to American and Chinese authorities.

But many American entrepreneurs believe that number could soon explode.

Noel Irwin Hentschel, CEO of tour operator AmericanTours International, said China will be her company’s top business focus in the coming decades. Speaking by phone from China, where she now spends half her time, she predicted that by 2009 Chinese tourists will account for one-tenth of the roughly 1 million customers her company ferries around the U.S. each year.

“There’s more than a billion people here,” Hentschel said. “Twenty percent of them are the ones with the money, with the ability to travel, from what we understand. There’s a lot of pent-up demand.”

Rising disposable income — now averaging $4,500 a year in cities like Beijing — has made travel an increasingly attainable luxury, and one that is often viewed as a status symbol.

“China has a booming economy, and the middle class is growing very rapidly,” said Ma while on a five-day, Mandarin-language bus tour of the Northeast. Faced with this new wealth, most people “want to go out of China and open their eyes,” she said.

To mine that interest in luxury, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC is planning to open six hotels in China in coming years, out of the 19 it plans worldwide. Executives hope the expansion will help establish Ritz-Carlton as a high-status brand among the Chinese, said Vice President of Public Relations Vivian Deuschl. They are attractive customers both for their sheer numbers and for their spending habits, she said.

Chinese with personal wealth estimated at more than $1 million rank travel as their top leisure activity, according to a recent survey by the Shanghai-based Hurun Report.

Gambling is also popular among Chinese visitors, and Las Vegas has been working hard to cash in on their desire to find a seat at the blackjack and baccarat tables. Another favorite is dining in Chinese restaurants and visiting the nearest Chinatown, in part to see how Chinese-Americans live, Hentschel said.

Including money lost at the tables in Las Vegas and elsewhere, Chinese travelers on average spend about $5,800 per visit — more than residents of any other nation except India, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

In 2004, Nevada became the first non-nation to win approval from the Chinese government to open a tourism office there and advertise directly to the Chinese public. Los Angeles, San Francisco and Hawaii have since won permission to open offices or hire representatives. New York hopes to soon.

Travel insurance 'still available' for those with medical conditions

Although those with a long history of illness may struggle to get travel insurance, such tourists still have options available, one industry expert has revealed.

According to Steve Foulsham, technical services officer at the British Insurance Brokers' Association, those who have had serious medical conditions could find themselves excluded by some major travel insurance firms.

However, he suggested that such holidaymakers should still be able to get cover and advised them to seek specialist travel insurers.

He said: "It just unfortunately means you have to dig around a little bit more."

Mr Foulsham also added that when applying for travel insurance, tourists with any previous illnesses or conditions should be completely honest about their medical history.

Earlier this week, a Milsom Howard spokesperson claimed that those aged at least 65 or who have a certain medical background should face higher insurance costs as it helps keep premiums down for those viewed as less likely to make a claim.

However, tourists will be glad to know that Go Travel Insurance has a variety of competitively priced travel insurance policies covering those up to the age of 99 in addition to those with various health conditions.

Ohio Travel Industry Eyes High Gasoline Prices

People in the travel industry are split on what high gasoline prices will mean for Ohio summer tourism.

A spokeswoman for the state Division of Travel and Tourism said expensive fuel could be a boon for the state's attractions, because vacationers in Ohio and neighboring states could decide to see what's close to home, to keep costs down.

Others worry that soaring gas prices are squeezing family budgets and discouraging people from going anywhere. A Columbus Zoo spokesman said the leisure dollar is typically the first dollar that goes.

Officials with AAA said Wednesday's average Ohio price for regular-grade gas is $3.32, down from the record $3.40 that was hit just before the Memorial Day weekend.

Americans may travel more this year

Americans won't let high-priced gasoline interfere with their travel plans if industry surveys prove true.

The Travel Industry Association (TIA) predicts that leisure travel will increase 1.4 percent over last summer.

The forecast comes on top of a AAA survey last week that predicted travel for the Memorial Day weekend will increase 1.7 percent over a year ago.

AAA also predicted that travel by motor vehicle would be up by 1.8 percent.

TIA, however, suggested that travelers this summer may spend less on hotels or restaurants to make up for the dollars they will pour into their gas tanks.

"Some people will shorten the trip in terms of nights they spend away from home or distance traveled," said Suzanne Cook, senior vice president of research for the association. "They'll do things like find a more modest form of food, cut back on restaurant purchases, downscale on their hotels. We've already been seeing some trading down in the hotel sector."

Automobile travel will account for eight in 10 summer trips, TIA said. Air travel, however, will rise about 3 percent, the association predicted.

"Airlines are going to be crowded this summer," TIA spokeswoman Cathy Keefe said.

Business and convention travel is expected to remain strong as well, increasing by about 3 percent this summer, TIA said.

The association predicted that 330 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more one-way during the summer.

AAA predicts that 38.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home for the Memorial Day weekend. About 84 percent of those travelers, or 32.1 million, will go by motor vehicle. Average household spending for the Memorial Day weekend will be $594, AAA said. Fifty-seven percent of those households will travel with children.

The Midwest region is likely to have the highest portion of travelers with children at 66.6 percent, AAA said.

American Airlines Unveils Plans for New Way for Customers to Purchase Travel

In addition, American Airlines Vacations, a division of American Airlines, revealed it is making enhancements to AAVacations.com. Customers will begin seeing changes this summer, with additional enhancements coming in following months.

The enhancements to AA.com, which has, on average, more than 1.2 million unique visitors per day, were developed using extensive customer input and include user-friendly features that provide expanded options to plan and purchase travel. Currently, customers can search either by price or by schedule. These new features will take their travel purchase experience to a new level by soon offering a third option: to see flight choices in a convenient display which shows price and schedule combinations, stated the company.

“The new shopping and ticket purchase functionality on AA.com will empower customers to evaluate their flight options by providing a convenient display of schedule, price and levels of service combinations. When customers search for flights, a new results display will return a range of schedule and price possibilities for the departure and return portions of a roundtrip, which can be checked independently. This new display will enable customers to see how their trip choices impact the price, and will offer customers more control to customize their travel plans according to individual priorities,” added the company.

Bella Goren, American’'s Senior Vice President -- Customer Relationship Marketing and Reservations said, the combined price and schedule display will make booking travel on AA.com even easier, smoother and more streamlined.

The new display will allow travelers to sort results by expanded criteria including price, number of stops and departure and arrival times, and will provide easy access to flight detail information. A click will enlarge a selection and provide additional flight details including travel time, seat maps, AAdvantage miles, aircraft type and meal availability.

About AAVacations.com, the airline stated that the new site will use technology that enhances the shopping experience by allowing customers to easily choose among individual vacation elements to design unique, customised trips that fit their needs and budgets.

“These changes represent American’s strategic investment in services and products that make solid business sense while improving the overall customer experience. Enhancements to AA.com, American’s largest distribution channel, underscore the company’s commitment to lower costs to compete, building a financial foundation for the future and giving customers what they value -- key tenets of American’s Turnaround Plan,” stated the airline.

High prices impact travel

The cost of traveling - for hotels, rental cars and airline tickets, as well as the all-too-familiar spike in gasoline - is up. So how crowded will the roads and skies be this summer? It might depend on whether you drive or fly - and whether you're staying in the U.S. or going abroad.

The coming Memorial Day weekend is supposed to pave the way for a solid summer season, where leisure trips of 50 miles or more will increase 1.4 percent to 329.6 million from June through August, the Travel Industry Association says.

Yet the percentage of Americans planning a vacation within the next six months - 40.4 percent in April - was near a 30-year low, according to the Conference Board's latest consumer confidence and buying plans survey. Reflecting the state of gas prices, the number of people planning to drive on vacation also was near a 30-year low, according to the survey of 5,000 consumers, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.4 percentage points.

But air travel plans remained at a healthy 19.1 percent - just 3.5 percent below the all-time high set in the same month of 1998.

Despite the dollar's weakness, 9.9 percent of Americans had plans to visit a foreign country - the fourth-highest reading in 30 years.

"I'm paying for this - but it's worth it," Marci Morgan, a 23-year-old law student from West Chester, said before she caught a flight to Rome on Friday with her University of Dayton classmate, Susan Suriano. They planned tourist stops on a 16-day trip through Italy while studying international human rights issues for their school.

Morgan and other local residents catching overseas flights out of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport said they're concerned about rising costs - but not enough to alter their plans.

Gerlinde and Stefan Schmitt of Loveland were catching a flight to Frankfurt on Friday. They fly back to their native Germany to visit family and friends each year.

Usually, they would fly in the off-season, but this year, they wanted to celebrate Stefan's parents' birthdays in May. Still, while the scientist and quality assurance executive can afford to make the more expensive trip, they lament that U.S. gas prices are resembling European ones more and more. European countries heavily tax fuel.

"We're spoiled here because gas was so nice compared to Europe," she said.

Still, costs appear to have the most impact on domestic plans.

The Conference Board said the share of people planning to visit U.S. destinations - 32.9 percent - was the lowest recorded since its bimonthly survey began in 1978. The percentage of people planning to travel by car on their vacation - 20.9 percent - was the second-lowest in the survey's history.

WILL DRIVERS ALTER THEIR HABITS?
Some experts say U.S. travel could be vulnerable if gas prices continue to climb.

Tom Kloza, an analyst with the Oil Price Information Service, said several parts of the country are reaching a "tipping point" of $3.25 a gallon for regular unleaded where he predicts motorists will put the brakes on their driving habits and possibly their travel plans.

Kloza noted that chains in Western states are noticing sales "flattening" as consumers paying $3.30 to $3.40 a gallon alter buying habits.

OTHER TRAVEL COSTS UP, TOO
While gas prices are in the spotlight, travelers and tourists must also contend with several other higher costs.

U.S. hotels were charging an average daily rate that's 6.1 percent more during the first three months of this year, according to Smith Travel Research; average airline ticket prices were $378 in the U.S. by the end of 2006 - the highest in six years, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics; and the car rental industry is grappling with fallout from ailing automakers that no longer want to flood them with cheap fleet vehicles.

The Travel Industry Association's Travel Price Index for April said total travel costs were up 2.8 percent for the year so far - with only intercity transportation costs faring cheaper than last year, with a 0.3 percent decline.

Suzanne Cook, senior vice president of research for the association, conceded in her report that high gas prices will force 11 percent of travelers to make some changes in their vacation plans this summer - such as staying at cheaper hotels, dining at less-expensive restaurants and shaving a day or two off a trip's duration.

Still, she contended that "the real tipping point" is $3.50 a gallon - adding that a third of those surveyed said they would cancel vacation plans at that point.

"The majority of consumers expect to continue to see high gas prices this summer, but they seem to be taking it much more in stride," she wrote.

The Lan-TAM Alliance Will Make Travel Easier in Brazil and Chile

Brazil's TAM Linhas Aéreas and Lan Chile, both airlines with a clear dominating position in their domestic markets have agreed to formalize a business alliance. The agreement to be implemented in the next three months aims to develop partnerships in routes operated in South America, broadening passengers' options to fly to several destinations.

TAM will expand its flight offer in South America to include a more complete and diversified network for its passengers. In addition, clients of LAN will enjoy the ease of traveling routes operated by TAM with multiple hours and frequency options.

One of the benefits passengers will enjoy with this business alliance is being able to travel with a single ticket from the beginning to the end of the route, in addition to the possibility of using the companies' VIP areas. Another advantage is the accrual of the TAM Fidelity Program and the LANPASS, benefiting passengers who travel frequently.

TAM's CEO, Marco Antonio Bologna said the alliance with LAN represents an important step towards the regional integration process in South America, thus stimulating the distribution of passengers in the Brazilian, Chilean, Argentinean, Peruvian, Venezuelan and other markets.

"TAM and LAN passengers can rely on a wider variety of flights while enjoying all of the advantages of both companies' fidelity programs" said Bologna, who points out that the agreement also reinforces TAM's strategy of maintaining partnerships with leading companies in the markets where it operates.

Enrique Cueto, LAN's vice-chief executive officer, said, "Thanks to this agreement, our passengers will enjoy an excellent network that will make their travels easier. This will encourage commercial agreements already existing between the countries, fomenting tourism and bilateral cooperation in the region."

TAM has been the Brazilian domestic market leader since July 2003, and closed last April with a 50.72% market share. The company flies to 48 destinations throughout Brazil and with commercial agreements executed with regional companies, reaches 75 destinations outside the national territory.

LAN is one of Latin America's leading airlines and is integrated by LAN Airlines, LAN Express, LAN Peru, LAN Ecuador, and LAN Argentina, as well as LAN Cargo and its affiliates.

LAN Alliance serves 15 destinations in Chile, 12 in Peru, 10 in Argentina, two in Ecuador, 15 destinations in other Latin American countries and Caribbean, three in the United States two in Europe and four in the South Pacific, in addition to 52 additional international destinations through several code-share agreements.

Yahoo now offering personalized version of travel planning service

Personalized services are becoming increasing popular. Google recently launched iGoogle and now Yahoo! has announced the launch of a new personalized version of its travel planning website.

This new travel planning service merges several Yahoo services including online community, bargain hunting, and Internet mapping technology.

The service would make recommendations to the user based on his previous activity on the site. It would also share this information with other users having similar tastes.

Yahoo Travel director Jasper Malcolmson spoke on this new service launch: “We want to fundamentally transform the way people plan and research their trips. By tapping into the collective intelligence of other like-minded travelers, there is a greater ability to plan and take truly memorable trips.”

Yahoo is also making available a plug-in for their Yahoo! Messenger application to let people in different locations to use the messenger to book flights online together in real time.

EDS wins $1 billion contract with German tourism firm

EDS today announced an agreement with KarstadtQuelle AG, Europe’s leading retail and tourism group, to manage the company’s applications and information technology environment for the next eight years. The deal is subject to standard regulatory approval, and has an expected total contract value of approximately $1 billion.

“As a trusted business partner, we look to the EDS team to apply its global knowledge and best practices to help us modernize our application landscape, lower IT costs and manage growth,” said Professor Dr. Helmut Merkel, member of the board of KarstadtQuelle Holding. “EDS’ expertise in our industry and worldwide reach will play a critical role as we achieve our business objectives.”

The agreement’s scope includes IT services for Karstadt’s department stores across Germany and the international mail order businesses of Primondo (Quelle). EDS will develop and maintain KarstadtQuelle’s critical software applications used for running the department stores and supporting its diverse e-commerce activities.

EDS will also manage all third party contracts with regard to the company’s entire IT infrastructure including a communications network that connects all of its locations and sales outlets. Lastly, EDS will manage and provide support to employees for the company’s desktop computers, PDAs, laptops, and printers – more than 15,000 computing devices.

Summer travelers book far in advance but summer travel routine changes

International and domestic trips are up this year according to recent Travelocity data but there are some changes to the usual summer travel routine. With some lesser-known international destinations growing in popularity, many savvy travelers are finding ways to reach exotic locales around the globe and stay on budget, despite most travel costs being up for summer.

Recent summer data show that travel booking windows have grown significantly. In 2002 the average trip was purchased 115 days before departure but this year, thus far, the average trip is being purchased 126 days before departure. International travelers tend to book tickets 17.3 days farther in advance than domestic travelers. Still, cost-conscious consumers have chosen to make some sacrifices this season, shortening their length of stay by 4% over last year in order to save on the final tab.

"The good news," according to Amy Ziff, Travelocity`s editor-at-large, "is that savvy travelers can have their cake and eat it too. They can save by exploring international destinations that are a little farther afield or sometimes less popular."

Industry insiders prove that if the travelers equipped with the right information this summer, there are still opportunities to save. But, without good direction, travelers may quickly become discouraged or get lost in a rabbit hole of research in an attempt to uncover the best prices.

Travelocity has taken the guesswork out of how to travel this summer by looking to industry data to find which destinations are showing price decreases or remaining steady over 2006.

International Travel: Early predictions show that pricing overall is up 3.7 percent from last year on all international destinations. However, following is a list of popular hot spots showing a decrease in airfares from last year:

Travel to the Caribbean is up 22 percent year over year. Travelocity says that in order a traveler to find the best deal should head to: Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, and Guadeloupe.

Travel to Asia is up 17 percent overall. But, fares are down to some of the best tourist destinations: China, Sri Lanka, and India Travel to Central America is up 14 percent overall and travel to South America is up 7 percent. Save on:

* Central America: Belize, Guatemala, and Costa Rica
* South America: Peru, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay

Travel to Europe is actually on the decline, with Western Europe down 2 percent and Eastern Europe down 15 percent. For the best deals look up:

* Eastern Europe: Ukraine, Croatia, Lithuania, and Poland
* Western Europe: Denmark, Austria, Iceland, Spain, and Italy

For warmer travel options, head to Mexico this summer, which is showing a decrease in travel and offers several amazing steals: Yucatan, Baja Peninsula, and Central Mexico US Domestic Travel: Early data indicates that domestic travel prices are up 3.8 percent over 2006. Top booked destinations for summer include:

* Las Vegas
* Orlando Area
* New York City Area
* South Florida
* Seattle Area
* Los Angeles Area
* San Francisco Bay Area
* Denver Area
* Honolulu
* Chicago Area

Savings Secrets:
Board a Ship - According to Cruise Lines International Association, just over 12.6 million travelers will take a cruise in 2007.The good news about the summer seas – is on pricing. Many cruises are being offered at prices we haven`t seen since 2003. Although prices have gone down, the number of cruise ships, ports and itineraries have grown. Set sail to exotic locales and cover multiple destinations in one trip:

Northern European cruises (Baltic Cruises, including ports such as St. Petersburg, Estonia, and Lithuania, are increasingly popular)

For more offbeat sailings head to places like Iceland, Greenland, or even the Norwegian fjords, Hawaii is convenient, popular, and well priced with 7-night roundtrip cruises to and from Honolulu Alaska cruises remain ever-popular (particularly cruise tours) Rent a Car Off-Airport - Car rentals can heavily affect the budget unless the provider outlines a rental car plan in advance. Based on Travelocity’s car tax study in December 2006, Ziff says, "travelers can save more than 10 percent on car rental taxes if they go off-airport to a neighborhood location."

Finding a car off airport can save money but may take more time.

Travel tips for golfers

It happens everywhere from the coffee shop to the sushi place. PGA Professional Tim Hurja, whose company sells Southern California golf travel packages, will be talking to a golfer lamenting how he's always wanted to play the Bighorn Golf Club but knows he'll never get the chance.

After all, Bighorn is as private as Fort Knox and about as inaccessible to nonmembers. "I can get you on," Hurja will reply.

Someone from a nearby table or the next spot in line will excuse him- or herself for eavesdropping and ask, "How?" Or, "What are you talking about?"

"A lot of times, it will be a Bighorn member," Hurja laughs. "And they'll want to know how the heck I can get golfers on their courses. You have to be pretty diplomatic."

Diplomatic because insiders are as unaware of the secrets outsiders use to gain access as us outsiders. There are tricks though, more tips than hardware in Tiger Woods' trophy case, that can make the difference.

It's often about how much you know rather than who you know.

"Being a smart traveler gives you a huge edge," said Joe Lipcorm, who frequently takes golf vacations. "Because let's face it, most travelers aren't that smart."

Consider this a course in golf traveler IQ.

"That's the thing," Lipcorm said. "No one thinks they're the dumb traveler. It's like how everyone thinks they're a great driver."

Local experts equal great golf access
Getting on at Bighorn usually requires the work of a local. This is where packagers like Hurja come in. They sell golf and hotel packages to an area, and they know the region's head pros and general managers. Not all packagers are created equal though.

PGA Professionals or former pros are more likely to hold the pull that opens gates.

Don't expect to see the great white whale of courses advertised by even well-connected packagers though. Members of big-dollar private clubs do not want to see tee times to their courses advertised.

This is an ask-and-don't-tell situation. It doesn't work everywhere either. Forget a tee time at Augusta National or Pine Valley. Unless your name is Steve Spurrier.

You'll be surprised by the golf courses where it is possible to get on, though.

A more conventional door opener is staying at a resort with special access. Choose a hotel like the Hyatt Regency at Gainey Ranch, and you can play a Scottsdale course (Gainey Ranch) the general public is not welcome on. Suddenly, jammed tee sheets in that golf Mecca aren't your problem.

There are hotels like this worldwide. Sometimes they're not the best known. Take the Indian Wells Resort Hotel in the Palm Springs valley. This midprice spot gives guests access to the $25 million-clubhouse Indian Wells Country Club.

Researching hotels in your spot of choice is usually all it takes to find resorts with pull on private courses.

Getting hotel room upgrades
The price difference between categories of rooms at hotels can be larger than the jump from a coach-class to first-class plane ticket. Serious money's on the line - at least one green fee's worth.
Yet, it's the easiest area to get a free upgrade.

Often all it takes is being nice. Be kind to the front-desk clerk, who probably isn't making much more than minimum wage. Mention how this is a special occasion, that you've been waiting for this vacation for a long time. Say you're hoping for a "nice" room.

Don't come right out and ask for the junior suite though. Then you'll likely only get quoted the price.

"Most of the time we'll try to give people we like a little better room," a clerk at an Arizona resort said. "If rooms are available, courteous guests are taken care of.

"If you run into a jerk at the front desk - and there are some - a twenty will usually do the trick. Not that that ever hurts."

Yes, an Andrew Jackson. Offended? It's still a bargain over the increased room rate. Heck, it's less than some resort fees.

And your money's going to a hard-working person rather than corporate coffers.

Discount rental car upgrades
To land a gratis upgrade on your rental car, you can keep your wallet in your pocket. It's as simple as booking the lowest class of car available - that economy or compact you don't want to drive.

Don't worry. Chances are you won't see that car.

A Ford Escort is hardly guaranteed to be in your future. Rental companies don't have many of these cars. There are many more midsize cars in the fleet. Once the few compacts and economy cars are off the lot, you'll be given something from the next class up. Free.

Make sure you're firm about this. Some agents will tell you there are no more economy cars but you can have a midsize for only $10 more a day.

Say no: You booked the reservation; you'll take a car at that quoted price. You'll be in a bigger car at the economy price within minutes.

Show up, play golf
One of the most frustrating things on a golf vacation is finding out the course you were dying to play is completely booked.

Don't give up. Show up.

No matter how popular the course and how crammed the tee sheet, there's almost always an opening. Singles get on even at Pebble Beach. Twosomes are a safe bet anywhere else.

"If you're at the course, that staff's going to do everything it can to get you on," said David Trout, head professional at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.. "Somebody's always canceling or showing up late."

Skycap spells quick getaway
Nothing slows you down like a long wait at the baggage carousel.

Handing your bags over to the skycaps outside the terminal when you check in virtually eliminates that. A $5 tip will get priority first class/elite mileage holder tags slapped on your bags - even if you're in the last row of coach and have never flown the airline before.

Your bags will come off the plane in the first wave. It's no small pleasure to lift up your golf bag when others in the crowd still await suitcases.

Suddenly that tee time for an hour after landing went from crazy to brilliant.

Sometimes knowing is the whole battle.

Mandarin Oriental Spa

Mandarin Oriental, New York Spa is one of the trendiest New York City spas and also one of the most expensive. For a 1 hour 20 minute Swedish Massage expect to pay $285. Located on the 35th floor of the new Time Warner Center near Central Park, the spa offers a calm setting and a menu of relaxing therapies.

The spa measures 14,500 square feet in size and includes a fitness center and a 75-foot indoor lap pool. Facilities include seven rooms with personal showers, vitality pools, amethyst crystal steam rooms, Experience showers, his and hers Relaxation Lounges and an oriental-style Tea Lounge.

If you are planning a romantic spa getaway, a private VIP Spa Suite can be rented at the Mandarin Oriental, New York Spa. The suite has a separate changing room, steam sauna and a fireplace.

The spa is open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 9pm; Sundays from 9am to 7pm. To book an appointment, call 212-805-8880 and read more about Mandarin Oriental, New York.

The spa measures 14,500 square feet in size and is located on the 35th floor of the new Time Warner Center.

The Mandarin Oriental, New York fitness center features scenic views of the city.

After a massage, relax in a calm setting at the Mandarin Oriental, New York spa.

A private VIP Spa Suite can be rented at the Mandarin Oriental, New York Spa.

Business travel enjoyed by 72% of workers

Nearly three-quarters of all business travellers enjoy spending time away from home for work purposes, according to newly released research findings.

Coming from the 11th Barclaycard Business Travel Survey, the findings also show that 15 per cent of employees stay away from home for work for between five and ten days a month.

A further 44 per cent of respondents said that they are travelling on business significantly more than they were last year.

Of those who said they enjoy business travel, more than half cited their reasons as being able to see the world and being able to have a more varied working life, with 15 per cent stating that they have purposefully planned business trips just so they can travel to a specific destination.

"Travelling for business can be an exciting part of any job - it adds variety and offers opportunities to see new places and experience different working cultures," commented Denise Leleux, director of commercial cards for Barclaycard Business.

Earlier this month, Barclaycard Business revealed other survey findings suggesting that 96 per cent of business travellers feel safe when on a flight, despite an increase in terrorist threats.

Business Travel Show to be staged in Dubai

Airlines, travel management companies, accommodation providers and any company involved in servicing the corporate travel market are being urged to reserve their space at the forthcoming Business Travel Show in Dubai.

"We are looking to hear from potential exhibitors, both local and international that have a strong interest in this region," explained Sally Pugmire, event director at UK-based Centaur Exhibitions, which is staging the event in partnership with Dnata World of Events. "In terms of visitors we are looking to attract corporate buyers and arrangers of corporate travel."

The two-day Business Travel Show has been running in the UK for more than 10 years and in Germany for three years. The former attracts more than 8000 visitors and 250 exhibitors each year.
The inaugural Middle East event will by staged at Dubai' Madinat Jumeirah Arena from October 29-30 and has already seen corporate travellers providers such as Virgin Atlantic and the Shangri-La hotel group sign up to participate.

In addition to the exhibition, the Business Travel Show will run an educational seminar programme working in conjunction with the Association or Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE).

Pugmire said potential exhibitors included airlines, TMCs, hotel groups, corporate credit cards, car and rail service providers, private jet hire companies, and ancillary travel services such as taxis, chauffeur-drive, serviced accommodation and travel security services.

By exhibiting they will be showcasing their products to managing directors and finance directors of small-to-medium-sized businesses; travel managers/co-ordinators from large companies; procurement professionals; and personal assistants and travel bookers.

According to the Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing, business travel accounts for 80% of all travel to and from the Gulf region.

The value of Middle East business travel was estimated at US $13.7 billion in 2006, which by 2016 should reach $28.4 billion.

Pugmire said with such growth on the horizon, there was a need to identify key issues affecting the corporate travel market from both the corporate buyer and travel management company perspective.

With this in mind, Centaur and The Business Travel Show's Dubai-based marketing partner, Fusion Marketing, aim to conduct surveys of the market and stage roundtable/open forum sessions with key industry players.

The first was stage on April 19 at Dnata Agencies headquarters, discussing topics including zero commission, the impact of low cost airlines and e-commerce solutions for corporate travel buyers and providers.

Top 10 Up-and-Coming Travel Destinations

VirtualTourist, the largest online travel research site and travel community in the world, reveals destinations -- in the United States and internationally -- forecasted to experience the greatest surge in travel buzz this spring.

VirtualTourist, consisting of 100% user-generated travel content, draws over five million travelers monthly, who research upcoming trips and share travel reviews, tips and photos from previous trips. Travelers ask and answer questions in the travel forums, and create custom travel guides with VirtualTourist's Trip Planner tool.

"Time and again we see the little-known gems find their way onto the road more frequently traveled. For the tourist not fond of crowds, the trick is to see these places before everybody knows about them. So that means see them now!" said Giampiero Ambrosi, General Manager of VirtualTourist. "In recent years we've seen the popularity status of countries like Croatia and Costa Rica quickly move from 'off the radar' to mainstream. Today's travelers' buzz points to cities like Salamanca in Spain, and Kotor, Montenegro."

Ambrosi added, "Some places, such as Canada's ski destination Whistler may already be considered a hot spot during a particular season but may not be as 'discovered' at other times of year. In spring and summer in Whistler, you can hike, ride a gondola and see incredible wildlife."

VirtualTourist analyzes the feedback and posting research activities of more than five million monthly unique users to determine the world's up-and-coming travel destinations. The VirtualTourist Up-and-Comers Index pinpoints locales that have experienced significant increases in interest over the past 12 months.

Travel Holdings Named Exclusive Travel Provider for Skybus Airlines

Travel Holdings, Inc. has been named the exclusive provider of travel products for Skybus Airlines, the next generation of low-fare airlines, with services launching in the spring of 2007.

The travel distributor will provide hotel, cruise, attractions and transfers for Skybus passengers in every destination the airline flies. The relationship between Travel Holdings and Skybus has created a one-stop-shop for consumers looking to book all components of their travel through one web site.

“Our newly formed partnership with Skybus will give consumers the ability to book quality hotels at prices they expect from a low-cost carrier,” said Jason Soss, senior vice president of sales for Travel Holdings. “With more than 13,000 hotels, seven cruise lines and many top attractions in the U.S. in the inventory network of Travel Holdings, Skybus passengers will notice savings on more than just the flight.”

“We’re pleased to be working with Travel Holdings,” said Bill Diffenderffer, CEO of Skybus. “Because we will be selling tickets exclusively online,” Diffenderffer added, “we need to offer our passengers convenient and easy access to hotels, cruises, attractions and transfers. Travel Holdings has demonstrated its broad range of offerings as well as its tech-savvy approach to travel distribution, For Skybus, that makes good business sense.”

Skybus will provide non-stop service from Port Columbus International Airport to major markets in the United States beginning in the spring of 2007 and will operate on full-size Airbus A-319 jet aircraft.

Great Summer UK Travel Deals Starting at $588 Roundtrip

If you plan to travel to England late this summer or early fall, take advantage of the fare sale bmi is offering as low as $588 for travel to the UK beginning August 1 through October 15. The sale is valid from April 18 through May 3, 2007.

From Las Vegas to Manchester, the fare is $588 in economy, $1088 in premium economy and $2586 in business class. From Chicago to Manchester, the roundtrip economy fare sale is $622, $1122 in premium economy and $2620 in business class. To London and the Scottish cities of Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh, the add-on fare is only $38 roundtrip from either Las Vegas or for all fare classes. The UK sale is also available on United Airlines code share flights from Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco and Salt Lake City at different fare levels.

A stopover in Manchester in either direction on the London or Scottish flights is permitted at no additional cost.

bmi's transatlantic service features Airbus A330 aircraft with three classes of service and offers state-of-the-art video equipment with individual seat back screens featuring 16 audio and 20 video channels as well as the latest Nintendo(TM) and classic PC games.

Business class passengers receive extra pampering with their own chef, catering to their culinary tastes on every transatlantic flight and preparing the meals according to their preferences. They can take advantage of a complimentary arrivals package at the Radisson SAS hotel at Manchester to freshen up.

As a member of Star Alliance, bmi passengers can earn and redeem miles on any Star Alliance member's frequent flyer program when flying bmi including United Airlines.

Tralliance improves travel search engine

Dot-travel registry Tralliance has unveiled a suite of features on its travel search engine in a bid to further boost traffic.

Tools such as destination maps have been added to specific search results as well as a string of new advertising positions.

The Search.Travel site was launched in 2006 and, according to Tralliance, managed to attract 12 million unique users in its first three months.

Travel businesses will be given the opportunity to feature on all destination maps, Tralliance said. New sponsored ads and advertising slots have also been created.

It is hoped the new service will appeal primarily to tourist boards.

Tralliance chief executive Ed Cespedes said: “It is vital that the travel and tourism industry embrace what we are doing and support the development and evolution of the .travel domain for the benefit of both the global travel industry and consumers.

“We are encouraged by the many high-profile destinations that have already committed to the new advertising program."

Summer travel forecast: Run for cover!

Shakespeare never did tell us what came after the winter of our discontent. But why do I think that the winter of our discontent on the road is going to be followed by a summer of disgust?

I know it's hard to believe—what with airlines nearing record lows in on-time and baggage-handling performance and snow still falling from the skies a month into spring—but the summer travel season is shaping up to be even worse than this past winter and our dreadful spring.

I fervently wish I had better news to report, but here's what I see coming down the road in the months to come. Run for cover, fellow travelers. It's gonna be ugly.

Chaos at the airports
At least two dozen major airports are now at or above their pre-9/11 traffic levels. Remember what it was like back in 2000? Well, then, think about that kind of traffic this summer, but with about 150,000 fewer airline employees to help check us in, move our checked luggage and unsnarl the inevitable computer glitches, weather disruptions and management snafus. Add the system-clogging effects of 37- and 50-seat jets. Throw in the martinets at the Transportation Security Administration making us separate our lotions and potions in tiny plastic bags. Pretty dreary, huh?

According to the Transportation Department's latest Air Travel Consumer Report, the airline industry is operating at just 66.8% on-time. That's one in three flights running late. Want to bet that one in two flights will run late during the busiest weeks of the summer? The "mishandled" baggage rate is now about one incident for every 125 passengers. That's up from about one in 200 flyers just a year or so ago. I suspect this summer will see us crack the one in a hundred passengers mark.

All's fair in the new fare game
The summer of 2007 appears to be when the paradigm will finally shift in airline pricing. Much as I'd like to report that the wackos who run airline pricing have decided to adopt simpler, flatter, fairer fares, I can't. Instead, they are going to the à la carte system.

Just this week, for example, United Airlines began imposing a $10 surcharge on flyers who choose to use LAX. Beginning today, American Airlines says that flyers who call the carrier directly to change existing seat assignments will pay $15 for the privilege. Earlier this month, Aer Lingus began charging as much as ?15 for seat assignments on shorter-haul flights. Last month, of course, Spirit changed its checked-luggage policy and instituted a pay-for-all-bags regimen. Earlier this year, British Airways began charging up to £120 to check a second bag on some flights. And last year Northwest Airlines began charging for so-called "choice" coach seat assignments.

Is à la carte pricing bad? Not necessarily, although I notice that airlines aren't really "unbundling" fares. They are just charging more for selected services that were once included in the base fare. But the real problem is that à la carte pricing creates still more confusion and resentment in an already unhappy marketplace. Different carriers charge for different services at different rates. And not one of them has the decency to make their à la carte pricing decisions easily accessible. Want proof? See how long it takes for you to find a notice of the new United or American fees on their respective websites.

A looming safety crisis
One thing that the airline industry could boast about in recent years was safe operations. Day-to-day flying in the United States and Canada has been remarkably uneventful in recent years. But in their rush to cut costs, the airlines are putting that enviable record at risk. More and more important maintenance is being farmed out to foreign repair shops that are out of the reach of any effective Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight. Pilots and flight attendants are being pushed to exhaustion by new work rules. The carriers are also filling the skies with smaller and smaller jets that stretch the limited force of air traffic controllers. To accommodate these fleets of flying sardine cans, we've already reduced the separation between planes in flight and that reduces the safety margin. And as revealed by last year's Comair crash in Lexington, Kentucky, the FAA doesn't always effectively enforce its own guidelines for air traffic controllers. It's a very dangerous mix and we may pay the price for the shortsighted policies this summer.

Simmering labor resentment
As the big airlines began eking out small profits last year, airline management did what it always does: It gave itself huge bonuses and pay raises. At the same time, though, the bosses continued to demand concessions from their remaining pool of rank-and-file workers. Last year, for example, Northwest Airlines imposed unilateral work rules and wage concessions on its flight attendants. Yet news leaked out last week that the airline's imminent emergence from bankruptcy will reward management with as much as 5% of the new company. Management's explanation? They made concessions during the bankruptcy and deserve to be rewarded for their sacrifice.

The pilots at American Airlines are infuriated by a new round of management bonuses due to kick in next month. United's rank-and-file labors under concessionary contracts while management continues to pocket big raises and bonuses. Many US Airways employees work under a patchwork of contracts negotiated with pre-merger carriers and the company's management has handled labor relations almost as poorly as it has run the airline's operations.

In other words, the folks who make the airlines run are restless and resentful after years of givebacks and continued management abuses. And business travelers always suffer when airline bigwigs mistreat employees.