Taking off Travel blog

Here’s our weekly roundup of some of the recent travel news stories.

Experts Predict Airline Ticket Sales Slowdown

Last week we mentioned the new rules to promote more transparency in air travel prices for consumers. That story has continued to promote discussion especially since the rules came into force last Thursday. However, an article in the LA Times suggests that the rules may result in a reduction in ticket sales because of ‘sticker shock’ – the sudden increase in prices. This view is held by a number of travel industry experts. There is still a pending lawsuit to stop the rules from going into force, brought by Southwest, Spirit and Allegiant.

LA Visitor Numbers Rocket

The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau has released figures showing a 4.2% increase in overnight visitors to LA during 2011. The influx of 26.9 million people had a resulting 8% increase in spending by tourists to $15.2 billion. One of the largest sections of growth was in the international visitor sector, where visitor numbers increased by 7% and spending increased by 12%. One of the factors driving the growth was increased traffic from Asia, as well as Canada and Mexico but there was also a 2% increase in domestic travel to LA. The airport is undertaking an expansion of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, to cost $1.5 billion and Los Angeles is to host the US Travel Association’s International PowWow in April, resulting in an influx of international visitors. If you are planning to visit LA in 2012, check out our recommendations for things to do in LA.

Brazil Boom Brings Travel Woes

If you’re planning a trip to Brazil in the near future to attend any of the major sporting events to be held there, don’t be surprised if the trip leaves you feeling underwhelmed. The country is due to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics and ahead of that the country is experiencing a travel boom. That means headaches for passengers in terms of higher ticket prices and lots of delays. Brazil’s airport infrastructure just isn’t ready to cope with the boom and airport upgrades scheduled to be ready by the June 2013 start of the Confederations Cup, are unlikely to be complete. More on this in the Washington Post.

Relax at SFO

If you happen to be visiting San Francisco, you might find your trip through San Francisco International Airport quite … peaceful. Though that’s not a word often associated with air travel, the airport now has a Yoga Room in terminal 2, reports Time. Low lighting and sound protection should keep the noise of the terminal at bay, and you can sit on one of the many available yoga mats between 4.30am to 12.30am daily and rediscover your bliss!

Visiting SFO, LAX or another airport? Don’t forget to use our Happy12 coupon and save on off airport parking.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) lies south of Atlanta’s central business district. For the last 7 years it has had more passenger traffic and more takeoffs and landings than any other airport in the world, making it the world’s busiest. It handles around 90 million passengers each year.

History of ATL Airport

ATL Airport’s history goes back to 1925, when an airfield was developed on an abandoned car racetrack, renamed Candler Field. The first commercial flight to this field took place a year later. In 1929, the airport was renamed Atlanta Municipal Airport and it got its first control tower in March 1939.

World War II saw the airfield double in size as it was used as a government air base. By 1957 it was the country’s busiest airport. In 1961, the country’s largest terminal was opened there, but capacity was soon exceeded. In 1971, the airport was renamed the William B Hartsfield Atlanta Airport and then to William B Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport , with the launch of services to Mexico and Jamaica.

In 1980, a 2.5m square foot passenger terminal, the world’s largest, was opened. Other major infrastructure improvements followed. The airport gained its current name in 2003 to commemorate Atlanta Mayor Maynard H. Jackson.

The airport serves Delta Airlines (which has the world’s largest airline hub there), AirTran Airways, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, ExpressJet and many more.

ATL Airport Terminals and Services

Read more »

Travel Strategy

The big news in travel in the past week was the announcement of initiatives to improve travel and tourism in the US. The industry accounted for 7.5 million jobs in 2010 and 2.7% of GDP.  Among the measures announced were the easing of restrictions for regular travelers who pass a background check, resulting in lower waiting times at airports, an increase in the number of countries from which visitors can enter without a visa and quicker processing for visitors from countries like China and Brazil. There will also be an interagency task force to develop a National Travel and Tourism Strategy. See the video below for more info:

Response from the industry has been largely positive, as a snapshot from Travel Market Report reveals. In particular, many felt that the industry was at last being respected as a major force in the US economy.

Sustainable Travel Finalists

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced the finalists in the 2012 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, which recognize sustainable travel initiatives industry wide.  There are four categories: destination stewardship, global tourism business, conservation and community benefit. The finalists are

Destination Stewardship

• Destination Røros, Norway

• Misool Eco Resort, Indonesia

• Tanabe City, Japan

Global Tourism Business

• Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Singapore

• REI Adventures, USA
• Wilderness, South Africa

Conservation

• Cheli & Peacock, Kenya

• Inkaterra Peru, Peru

• NamibRand Safaris: Wolwedans Collection, Namibia

Community Benefit

• Saunders Hotel Group, USA

• Soria Moria Boutique Hotel, Cambodia

• The Thailand Community Tourism Based Institute, Thailand

The next stage of the 3-stage judging process includes on-site visits to the finalists. The winners will be recognized at WTTC’s global summit in Tokyo, Japan, to be held from 16-19 April.

No More Hidden Travel Fees

In other news, new protections for air passengers are about to come into force. These mean that when you book and pay for a ticket, that’s the price you should pay. Airlines will have to include fees and taxes in the price they are advertising (only the mandatory ones), and to disclose the costs of the optional extras. Once a flight is purchased, the price stays the same. (Full story on NewsNet5.)

Want discount airport parking ? Find out about our airport parking coupon here.

Top of the morning to you and here’s our weekly (ish) roundup of airport and airport parking news.

Off Airport Parking Research

First up, the results of some new research into airport parking, published on the UK’s Travel Daily UK blog. UK firm Looking4Parking has published research showing that 66% of those using airport parking firms save an hour on their journey. And a third of the 1,000 people polled also thought that a meet and greet service saved up to 2 hours.  Convenience and cost were among the factors that led people to book with off airport parking firms. Find out more about the airport parking research here.

Looking Ahead to Terminal 4 – JFK Airport

In the New York Times last week, there was a sneak peek at changes happening at JFK’s new terminal 4, due for completion next year. According to the article by Christine Haughney, the structure is beginning to take place. The new terminal will automate baggage screening and speed up security. When completed passenger transfers between domestic and international flights are also expected to work more smoothly. Read more on the JFK expansion here.

Airline Administration Fees

It’s not just here in the US that we have a problem with ever increasing air travel fees. Saturday’s post on the Travel Rants blog saw Darren Cronian talking about administration fees on EasyJet, one of the UK’s low cost airlines. The cause of contention is a new GBP9 (approximately $13.50 at today’s exchange rates) applied to all debit card payments. This fee is more than 9 times the maximum fee charged by banks for debit card transactions. With new European legislation coming in to improve transparency for travelers, Cronian asks:

why is it that every time the government or European Union announces a new legislation, the airlines find somewhere around it, which ultimately costs the consumer money?

Why, indeed?

Radiation Tests for TSA Employees

We’ve been wondering about the effects of airport scanners for quite a while and the Transport Security Administration (TSA) has generally played down health concerns. However, according to an article in the LA Times, the TSA is planning to test its employees and check their radiation exposure. No tests yet for the scanners themselves or the passengers though.

Save on Airport Parking

Finally, to end today’s roundup, a piece of company news – our latest airport parking discount coupon. If you’re thinking of making airport parking reservations at (MDW) Chicago Midway Airport, (IND) Indianapolis Airport, (ALB) Albany Airport, (ORD) Chicago O’Hare Airport, (JFK) John F. Kennedy Airport or any of our more than 150 airport parking locations nationwide, you won’t want to miss this offer. Just book 2 days or more by January 31, 2012 using the promo code Happy12 and SAVE 10%*.  This offer is valid for travel for the entire year.

Airlines Oppose Philadelphia Airport Extension

From time to time I do a travel news roundup. This week, it’s an airport edition, including some news on airport parking. First up is the news that US Airways has opposed the planned expansion of Philadelphia International Airport, which will include a runway running alongside the Delaware. According to the airline the expansion will not address the key issues of delay reduction and traffic congestion, nor will it attract the international nonstop air service desired by many of those in the business and hospitality industry.

The airlines (other opponents of the scheme include Southwest Airlines, Delta and UPS) and the city differ widely in their estimates of the value and the cost of the scheme. The city says it will cost $6.4bn and bring up to 100,000 jobs; the airlines put the tab at closer to $10.5bn and say the jobs figures have no base in reality. Another key issue is the timing of the construction of the new runway. The city wants to push ahead with it, while the airlines would like to tie their financial commitment to benchmarks including economic improvement or resolving airspace issues.

The two sides remain at loggerheads. Read the full story here and check out our Philadelphia airport parking rates.

New JetBlue Routes and Watertown Expansion

In other news, JetBlue has started a nonstop daily service to San Juan, Puerto Rico from Bradley International Airport, MA. An additional service to West Palm Beach will also start this week. Meanwhile, the expansion of Watertown International Airport’s terminal is nearly complete, with a new passenger waiting area, upgraded baggage claim and plans to install an on-site car rental franchise.

SmartPark Gets iPhone App

Finally, if you’re planning to park at our SmartPark JFK airport parking location, your job is even easier with the facility’s airport parking reservation iPhone app. You can even get parking rewards with the app, so download it today.