Taking off Travel blog

Happy Monday and welcome to another travel news roundup. Here are some of the travel stories that caught my eye recently.

More Spending, Fewer Jobs

First, a story in Travel Weekly highlights the results of a report by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. It shows that despite an increase in travel spending in 2010, indicating a recovering travel market, employment in the tourism industry fell by 1.4%, equivalent to 112,000 jobs. That’s after a significant 7.8% decline the previous year. In contrast, visitor number were up to a record 60 million, with spending up 12% over the previous year at $134.4 billion. Read the full story here.

Higher Fees for the Holidays

Air travelers are no strangers to rising travel costs and it looks like the trend will continue during the holidays. If you want more legroom or more comfortable seats, you could soon be paying more, says a report in the Seattle Times. American, Delta and others are providing these perks but charging more to those who want to book them. Delta’s new Economy Comfort seats, due t be added to the whole fleet by next summer, will cost between $19 and $99 extra. JetBlue offers more space for $10 (short haul) and American charges an extra $4 for window and aisle seats near the front. More details here.

American Modernizes Despite Bankruptcy Filing

Read more »

Here are some of the items that made the travel news recently.

Thanksgiving and Holiday Travel

In the travel news this week, it seems that travelers making plans for Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season can expect full planes despite the expected drop in holiday passenger numbers. The Air Transport Association is predicting a 2% (approximately 400,000 people) reduction in the number of air travelers during the period. Don’t think that means more capacity, though. It means less. Airlines have cut seats to ensure full planes, a revenue boosting move to address tight margins. Best tip: book now or miss out altogether. FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney also warns that instead of looking for a good deal, holiday travelers will simply get a ‘better bad deal’.  See also: Four Ways to Travel Lighter for the Holidays.

Medical Travel

The Economist has released a report on the world’s top destinations with potential for medical travel. Although it doesn’t promote this kind of tourism,, France tops the list, followed by Mexico, which is actively developing this area and the US which, like others lower in the rankings, has a good level of specialist care and the right business environment for expansion.  Many developing nations have also made it into the top 20 because of low costs and good medical expertise. The figures are part of a report titled Traveling for Health: The Potential for Medical Tourism which assesses healthcare costs, economic factors and healthcare system strength.

Travel to Cuba

Following the easing of Cuba travel restrictions, CNN reports that Marazul Travel, working with Delta Airlines, is providing direct charter flights to Havana from some US airports. Flights from Miami started last month, flights from JFK will start next week and there will be flights from Atlanta in December.

Happy Monday! Here’s a roundup of recent travel news stories.

Air Traffic Control Goes Virtual

Playing video games may provide valuable experience for when the next generation of air traffic control systems is fully rolled out. Currently in testing at the Florida NextGen Test Bed, the technology includes a virtual display, a joystick and 3D live data of the planes in the air and on the ground. This gives a more realistic and precise view of what’s actually happening and compares well with the radar systems currently in use, which are beginning to show their age. However, radar and satellite will continue to be used for backup.

The virtual imagery is one of the technologies being tested for the refurb of the National Aerospace System which will make more use of the technologies that most people are using in daily lives, such as GPS and SMS messaging for communication. In the end the overhaul should result in fewer delays, more direct routes and less holding time in the sky, with obvious environmental benefits.  More on that story on The Daytona Beach News Journal.

New Travel Discount Scheme

Small business travelers stand to save money with MHNsaves for business, launched last week. According to MHN, this is a different type of discount travel website, offering discounts of at least 5% off the lowest advertised prices for hotels. In addition you can combine your discount with discounts from AARP or AAA membership, earn your regular loyalty rewards and earn additional rewards with the site’s own cashback rewards scheme. You can redeem your MHNsaves points at any time. The site also allows rental car booking.

In the Clouds

And finally, how would you like to float on a cloud? This has nothing to do with William Wordsworth’s Daffodils poem, but with a design concept from Tiago Barros. With his Passing Cloud design, Barros sees us traveling in a set of lightweight balloons held together in the shape of a cloud, moving at the speed of the prevailing winds. Whether that could be the future of business travel, I don’t know but the concept is intriguing. Check out the photos here.

Here’s a roundup of recent travel news.

IFlyBags

Earlier this week, Farelogix announced the launch of iflybags, a free online calculator to help travelers navigate the morass of baggage allowances and fees. The home page features a simple form where you can enter your planned departure and arrival points, and details of travelers and bags to find out what you are allowed to carry and how much it will cost in your local currency. It also incorporates extra allowances for frequent flyers and can recommend the best luggage combo for multiple travelers on the same itinerary. You’ll probably need a digital luggage scale to work out the weight of your bags, but otherwise you’ll be good to go. Jim Davidson, CEO of Farelogix, says: “The goal with iflybags is to ensure that no traveler arrives at an airport without knowing what their checked baggage allowance and fees will be.” The data used for the site comes from the Airline Tariff Publishing Company (ATPCO) so it is always up to date. Mobile apps for the site will be available soon.

Travel Offer Postcards – Watch Out!

In other travel news, the Department of Consumer Protection has alerted consumers about a possible travel scam. Some Connecticut residents have received postcards in the mail stating that they have won 2 round trip airfares as well as accommodation. It seems this might be a way to get them signed up for a travel club or website subscription, which means the offer definitely has strings attached.

“We are concerned that these promotions could lure consumers into believing that they are going to receive a free trip and hotel stay with no strings attached, when apparently, that is not the case at all,” said Consumer Protection Commissioner William M. Rubenstein. “The fine print on the cards indicates that “certain restrictions apply,” and according to complaints from consumers in other states where these promotions have run, the conditions often become clear when it’s too late to change one’s mind.”

Travel Agents – Still Valuable

Finally, an article by Brett Couvillion in TravelPulse at the start of the week reaffirmed the value of travel agents. The writer, in talking to travel suppliers, has found that they value the role of travel agents as a human point of contact with consumers who can deliver a valuable and personalized service. With travel industry employment continuing to grow, there is more need than ever for these professionals. However, Mr Couvillion urged travel agents to focus on suppliers that bring revenue into their business and to continue to highlight value in travel purchases for their customers.

Watch this space next Monday for details of how you can get a free $25 Restaurant.com voucher by booking 4 days or more of off airport parking via Park Ride Fly USA. We’ll also update you via Twitter and Facebook.

If you’re planning on heading to the beach this summer, you might want to check out the results of the National Resource Defense Council’s annual survey of water quality at US beaches. According to the report there were 24,091 beach closures and advisories in 2010, the second highest level in the 21 years since tracking began. That means there’s still bacteria in the waters. The BP oil disaster is a major factor in closures on Gulf Coast beaches.

Testing the waters at our beaches will get a much needed overhaul, with the Environmental Protection Agency due to upgrade its standard by next year. As part of that, same day results will be available for bacterial pollution, compared with one day results now. That should keep more people from being affected by rashes, stomach problems, pinkeye and other results of such pollution.

More on the story here, and you can also download Testing the Waters (PDF).

So, is your beach clean? Four US beaches have had perfect testing results for the last five years. They are: Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach, in Sussex County, Delaware; Park Point Lafayette Community Club Beach, in St. Louis County, Minnesota; and Hampton Beach State Park in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. Check out the ratings of your favorite beach here.

Image: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net