Taking off Travel blog

It’s Monday – did you get the result you wanted at last night’s SuperBowl? Whether you’re heading for the parade or looking to put it all behind you, check out our round-up of the latest travel news.

Travelers From Memphis Frustrated by High Air Fares

A WMCTV report suggests that high air fare prices out of Memphis International Airport are costing the city in more than one way. The report says there are fewer conventions in the city, business travel has been reduced and some 35% of locals are driving to other airports to pick up cheaper flights. There has been a 9% increase in air fares in the last year alone, which Scott Brockman COO of the Memphis Airport Authority blames on the airlines. Well, we can’t do anything about the cost of the flights, but we can provide discount airport parking at Memphis International Airport – check it out!

Business Travelers Want More Luxury

If you were planning on attending London’s Business Travel Show this week, let’s hope you made it in before flights got canceled at Heathrow. A survey of 1,000 business travelers showed that some business travelers are ready to get fancy with their trips, with a desire to see onboard cinemas, flying casinos, a hairdressing salon and double beds on the new super jumbos. Other business travelers have focused on practicality with 69% wanting more leg room, 54% wanting Wi-Fi and 28% wanting showers. See more on the Business Travel Show survey here.

National Green Week

This week is National Green Week. This is the week when schools and students around the nation work to reduce waste and live a more sustainable lifestyle. It’s all part of the lead-up to Earth Day on April 22 when the world goes green. If you’re wondering how you can do your bit this week as you travel check out our tips on having a green vacation and our totally green eco-tourism resources, and don’t forget that you can do your bit to cut down on wasted paper by getting email updates of our latest airport parking offers.

Carbon Neutral Aircraft Progress

Finally, could carbon neutral aircraft finally be here? Not quite yet, but NASA is starting to test prototypes being developed as part of its subsonic fixed wing program. The program not only looks at the reduction of drag, weight, energy consumption, emissions and noise in aircraft but it developing new ways of bringing these together. A number of aircraft manufacturers form part of the team.

Image: marsmet543

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.

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.

Europe was a major destination for US international travelers in 2011.

The holidays may be almost upon us, but there’s still plenty happening in the world of travel.

STA Travel Goes Greener

To start our roundup, there’s the news that STA Travel, the global leader in travel for students and young adults, has joined forces with Sustainable Travel International (STI), making a commitment to green their business. By 2015, STA Travel aims to be certified under the Sustainable Tourism Eco-certified Program (STEP). “In making this commitment will believe we will generate real business benefits from increased efficiency and cost savings as well as building increased customer loyalty and  employee engagement. By differentiating ourselves from a sustainability perspective we are demonstrating market leadership  in a way which is totally aligned with the concerns of our customers and employees,” says STA Travel’s CEO Peter Linney.

US International Travel Stats

The US Department of Commerce has released figures on outbound air travel by US citizens for the first half of 2011. Some 47% of outbound international travel was to overseas markets, with Europe taking an 18% share (5.2 million visitors). About three million Americans visited the Caribbean (11%), while two million visited Asia (7%) and just over 1 million visited Central America (4%). Other major destinations included South America (3%), the Middle East (2%), Oceania (1%) and Africa (1%). The other 53% of outbound international travel was to North American markets, including Mexico (36%) and Canada (16%).

Visa Reform

The US Travel Association has applauded the support by the Western Governors Council for USTA’s proposed reform of the visa system. The proposal includes:

• Setting a visa processing standard of two weeks and using visa fees to hire enough State Department personnel to focus only on processing travel visas while maintaining the same strict security standards;
• Introducing videoconferencing to conduct visa interviews in key markets;
• Expanding the Visa Waiver Program to new countries; and
• Granting Chinese travelers visas that are valid for at least five years versus the current one-year visa.

Research by USTA last year showed that many international travelers avoid the US because of difficulties with the visa system. In addition, since 2000, the country’s share of overseas arrivals has declined from 17% to 12.4%.

“During a time of high unemployment and slow economic growth, making some simple changes in our current visa system would create millions of U.S. jobs and billions in economic output,” says Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “We greatly appreciate the attention to visa reform and the support of the 22 U.S. governors the Western Governors Council represents.”

(Image: PlanetObserver)