James Travel

Andy James

May 12, 2010

2 DAY “WOW SALE”

MAY 18 & 19TH 2010

For 2 days only book the selected Cruise or Cruisetour and receive up to $200 onboard credit and 50% reduced deposits on sailings September 1, 2010 and beyond – including some of the newest cruise ships in the industry.   TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS INCREDIBLE OFFER! Click here for more information.

My Recent Trip to Colombia

This past February I had the opportunity to travel to Colombia South America as a possible destination our company may want to promote and recommend.  At first I considered why any American would want to travel to Colombia with its history of drug cartels and problems.  I can tell that after I returned from Colombia, I would go back because the country is progressive and very welcoming. (Click here to read more)

British Airways Announces Three Week Crew Strike

The trade union that represents the British Airways cabin crew, announced that it intends to strike May 18- 22, May 24 – 28, May 30 – June 03 and June 05 – 09, 2010.  All flights to and from Gatwick will continue to operate as normal as well as flight at London City.  At Heathrow British Airways plans to operate a substantial number of there long haul schedules and daily fights to every destination across the network.  British Airways may displace more than a million passengers caught up in the airlines strike.  The first of four five-day walkouts is due to begin next Tuesday May 18 after the cabin crew rejected an offer from BA.

Travel Industry Trends & Overview:

According to Travel & Leisure surveys and tracking trends, last month the volcano and ash put a damper on the European travel and triggered the cancellation of about 100,000 flights and cost the airline aviation sector around 1.7 billion.  The U.S. airlines were affected minimally compared to the European based carriers.  Some interesting facts,

• International air travel worldwide was up 10% over last year and U.S.

• Hotels, airlines, and cruise-ship operators are reporting better demand, translating into increased bookings and higher revenue.

• Leisure travel spending in the U.S. is bouncing back in 2010 as U.S. consumer sentiment gradually recovers, according to travel agents.

• Luxury travel sales showed solid gains in the first quarter of 2010 (Vacation.com survey of luxury-focused travel agents).

• Americans are ready to start traveling again but are looking for value and are ready to haggle for the best deals (AOL Travel survey).

• Travel agents came to the aid of stranded travelers during the ash cloud crisis.

• U.S. states are launching a range of new, creative tourism campaigns.

• The political firestorm sparked by Arizona’s new state law is threatening to undermine the state’s tourism industry.

• The air space crisis caused by the volcanic ash cloud severely disrupted the flow of cruise ship traffic.

• Cruise ships were advised to reroute their approaches to New Orleans due to the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Should I book my Summer Travel Vacation Now?

Within the past year, many summer vacation travelers waited until the last minute to book their summer vacation, hoping to find a “last minute” deal that has been discounted even futher than it was offered 1 or 2 months before.  Last year it did pay to wait and buy your airline tickets close to your departure date as the airlines slashed prices to fill seats.   But this year we are beginning to see a different trend, the airlines have reduced their cost by eliminating capacity because of the economy.  As consumer confidence begins to rise, airline prices are going up.  According to recent surveys from Travelociy and Expedia airfares are expected to rise 22% higher than last summer. From our unofficial observation and booking activity it’s all related to supply and demand.  As seats are filled, prices go up based on demand. We have seen a steady demand and booking activity for travel into Europe this summer along with Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska and Cruises. These destinations are always popular summer destinations for families during this time of the year. The difference is a reduction in air capacity causing airline ticket prices to go up. Destinations that are not as popular for families and summer vacation are still available at great rates.  As an example if your plans call for a vacation to Arizona this summer, we can accommodate your request with airfare and a great hotel or golf package.  Frankly, I’ve traveled to Tucson during the middle of July and would do it again.  The golf packages at some of the finest resort hotels are truly a great deal.  The golf courses are in good shape, the green fee’s very reasonable and there is no waiting.  Golfers can easily play 36-holes per day and relax at the pool.  One of the best kept secrets I’ve found over the years.  Give us a call, I can give you some ideas where to stay.

The good news is the hotel industry was not able to reduce there capacity like the airline industry so hotel room rates are still depressed and depending on the destination, great deals are still available.

United & Continental Airlines Merger – What does it mean to You.

United and Continental are on track to merge and become the world’s largest airline, so what does that mean to you as a consumer?  It means less airline choices, a possibility of higher airfares and a frequent flyer program that is un-matched by it rivals. The merger between the airlines allows travelers a wider variety of destination to travel to under one brand. The deal is the first major U.S. airline merger since Delta Air Lines Inc’s 2008 purchase of Northwest.  The large legacy carriers are carving out their markets to monopolizing their route structure and discourage competition from threading their territory.  Do these mergers give the airline industry the sense of security that they are “To Big to fail”.  Will the consumer have a better experience with service and price.  Or will competition be stifled and consumers left with few to no options for flying out of there gateway departure airport.  If the merger is approved, United/Continental will control about 19% of the domestic passenger, that puts about a third of all U.S. air travel in the hands of two carriers, United/Continental and Delta/Northwest.

This Weeks Travel Packages & Specials

Belize – Turtle Inn
Romantic Ireland – 7-Night Package
Autumn Amble Through New England – Fully Escorted Tour
Hawaii:  Oahu and Waikiki
Hawaii:  The Fairmont Orchid 

For Travel into Central & South America Visit our Unique  Travel Web Sites

Belize TravelPOINTS I Costa Rica TravelPOINTS I Barge TravelPOINTS I Peru TravelPOINTS I

Esorted Older Adult Tours – Click on our Centennial TravelPOINTS site to see what tours are scheduled for 2010 & 2011.  

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Hotel “Bed Warmers” Available

Looking for a way to warm up those cold bed sheets in your hotel room? An English hotel has a new service called “Bed Warmers”.  The hotel will enlist a staff member to do it for you.  The Holiday Inn in Kensington London is offering a five-minute “human bed warming” service.  So, who get’s “bed warming” duty and what is expected from the bed warmer?  The hotel staff is instructed to dress from head-to-toe in a white, fleecy outfit that looks like a hazemat suit with footed pajama feet.  They will jump into bed with you and move around generating the needed  heat between those cold sheets for 5 minutes.  Usually two staff members, a female and male are sandwiched between you to generate the bed warming experience.  As an added bonus, you might get a little pillow talk at the same time.

Ryan Air’s new “Fee to Wee”

Cross your legs if you plan on flying on Ryan Air, they have plans to charge passenger to use its aircraft’s restrooms.  The airline is planning on installing “coin-operated” restrooms as a “cost saving proposal” that would help reduce fares by at least 5%. Ryan Air is proposing to remove (2) toilets in the back of the plane to make room for 6 extra passenger seats, leaving only one restroom on board for passengers.  The proposed “Toilet” charge would be 1 euro or 1 pound.  The airline route being proposed is between Ireland and Britain.  One industry expert predicts the aircraft remodel might require Boeing to re-certify its evacuation standards.  The complexities of re-engineering each 737 may be cost prohibited for the removal of the restrooms and installation of extra seats. It may revert to just charging it’s passenger it’s “Fee for Wee” without the extra seats.

Andy’s Pick for Mexico – Riviera Maya Adults-Only All-Inclusive Resorts

Want a warm winter get-away without the kids in a really nice property?  Check out my review of the  Iberostar Grand All-Inclusive Adults Only Resort near Cancun Mexico. click here to read about it.

What you can expect to see this coming Year.

It’s been a busy beginning of the new year. During the previous year,  the travel industry took a serious hit but it fared better than a lot of other industries.  This is good news coming into 2010 because, as the economy improves, travel should recover faster than other industries or sectors.  Travel is beginning to see a slight increase over 2009 and some predictions are “Book early for 2011 as 2010 demand is increasing and you may be “shut out” for peak travel destinations over peak periods.

In this review the trends for 2010 were taken from a surveys from Travel Age West publication.  Find out which destination are on the “bucket list”, which all-inclusive resorts are in style, which cruises lines are competing to attract new cruisers, and why it will be a good year to travel.

Destinations Winners in 2010

So which destinations could be the big winners in 2010?  A recent survey by Travel Age West reviewed that some of the travel industry’s top destination show a trend toward the exotic.  Some of the top destinations which consumers were likely to visits in 2010 are,  Colombia, Botswana, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Greece, Germany, Morocco, New Zealand, Portugal, Western Australia, Turkey, India and Chile.  The survey concluded that American travelers continue to seek and visit places around the world that are unusual.  Other exotic destinations include Vietnam, China, Thailand, Egypt, Peru and the Galapagos.  Many of these destinations are growing for multigenerational travel and of course Europe continues to attract Americans for its unique ambiances.  As for us in the travel industry, our challenge will be to help you find one-of-a-kind experiences in an exotic destination, all at a great price.  James TravelPOINTS has preferred relationships with vendors all over the world will help to provide the experience and style you are accustoming to.

Hotels

The economy has not been kind to the hotel industry this past year.  Surveys report that improvements in the hotel industry won’t really improve occupancy until 2011.  Although numbers are down guest satisfaction survey found that visitors are impressed with what they are getting.  Hoteliers know that providing extraordinary guest service in a consistent manner is good for continued success.

What we have noticed over the last year is survival of the fittest, the resorts and hotels that are continuing to provide additional service,amenities and guest satisfaction are still standing.  On day to day basics we hear from our travelers which hotels and resorts are providing the service and ambiance that they advertise.  Traveling Americans do not want to stay at an all-inclusive resort and find out they are the only guests at the property. Our agents are kept informed on a daily basis from our vendors to provide information to our clients which properties to stay while on vacation and which one’s to avoid.

During 2009, many of the luxury resorts were reluctant to reduce their pricing for fear that the traveling public would come to expect these rates.  To off set lowing prices, many of the luxury properties began offering extra amenities i.e. food and beverage credits, rounds of golf or spa treatments to make their pricing more appealing.  Over the course of the year, travelers came to expect and seek out added value amenities and rates.

One major all-inclusive resort that continues to excel and provide visitors with unforgettable vacation experiences is Sandals and Beaches.  Sandals have invested to enhance its products and a new partnership with Martha Steward Living this year.   It’s opening a new Sandal in Exuma Bahamas, featuring 190 oceanfront rooms ranging from beachfront villas to charming bay house settings.  The 500 acre resort, formerly the Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma at Emerald Bay also comes with a championship Greg Norman-designed golf course.

Cruises in 2010 – “Hang On To Your Hat”

In 2010 there are many new cruise ships to debut.  Royal Caribbean Cruises Lines just debuted it’s newest ship  the Oasis of the Seas, a 5400 passenger mega ship with mega fun and entertainment.    Norwegian Cruise Line in January will launch a 4,200 passenger cruise ship called the Norwegian Epic.  Oceania Cruises will launch its first new vessel, the 1,258 passenger Marina.  Silverseas Cruises will launch their new ship the Silver Spirit and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line will launch another new ship called the Allure of the Seas.  Carnival Cruise lines is also ready to roll out it largest ship in its fleet, a 4,656 passenger ship called the Carnival Dream.  In April Celebrity Cruises will launch the Eclipse and Costa Cruises will introduce the Deliziosa.  Holland America Lines will debut its newest ship, the Nieuw Amsterdam scheduled to set sail July 04 with a 12-day Mediterranean cruises between Venice, Italy and Barcelona Spain.  .

With all these new ships and existing ships in the market, what does 2010 look like for the consumer?  It appears that dramatic values will continue to be offered through out the industry to stimulate travel.Some of the deals being offered to get consumers off the fence and into cruise berths are “2-for-1″ cruise fares, free airfare, and generous onboard credits.

One of the greatest advantages our staff has the constant update we receive on the travel offers on a daily basis.  We know which offers are really good and ligament, which one’s sound good but have hidden fees and restrictions associated with them.  At James TravelPOINTS we receive offers from cruise lines many have never heard of.  Some of our clients traveling to obscure destination are looking for unique cruising experience, so we  keep abreast of these unknown cruise lines that complement the clients experience and journey. These things we know and we share with our customers who travel all over the world.

The travel offers and savings are going to be abundant during this year.  We are already seeing the public starting to travel again, but not at the same levels as previous years. Demand for travel has to increase to balance out the over abundant supply of inventory.  I don’t see a decrease in inventory, especially when you have all these new cruise ships coming online in the next 2 years with new ships along with the new hotel resorts that have been built over the past 10 years to coop with the growing demand before the recession.  If you are thinking of taking a vacation this year, call us and let us help you find the best fit, we have very competitive pricing suppliers that go “toe-toe” with the online agencies, and in most situations we are able to come out with a better pricing situation.  Remember, a good DEAL does not always translate into a good vacation, there is a reason for “Really Good Deals”.

Agent Profile- Dennie Zabler

Dennie Zabler a knowledgeable, experienced professional Travel Consultant, has been with James TravelPOINTS for over 29 years.  She is a dedicated Travel Agent that enjoys working with new and repeat clients.  She has earned her C.T.C (Certified Travel Counselor) Certification in 1994.  As a Kenya specialist, she has been recognized by American Express and has extensive experience working with clients traveling into Mexico, Hawaii, Caribbean, Cruises, Alaska, Europe and South Pacific.  Dennie has traveled all over the world and brings a wealth of experience and advice to her new and past clients.  She has also achieved the rank of Commodore status with Princess Cruise Lines.  Destination specialties include: South Pacific, Caribbean, Mexico, Africa and Hawaii.  You can contact Dennie at 303-442-2340 ext 230 or email at: denniez@travelpoints.com

Andy’s Pick for Mexico – Riviera Maya Adults-Only All-Inclusive Resorts

Review of the Iberostar Grand All-Inclusive Adults Only Resort Riviera Mexico, click here to read about it.

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Date: Dec. 22, 2009 From: Andy James – James TravelPOINTS

2010 Travel Outlook

As 2010 approaches, what is the travel outlook for the new year. Are there still going to be great travel offers and deals,  and what travel opportunities do we foresee.   The  key components to great deals in 2010 is the availability of travel supply in the market place. At the moment,  there are a lot of great travel opportunities in the next 6 – 8 months,  demand has not caught up with the supply in the market.  Over the past 10 years, the cruise ships, hotel resort companies, and airlines  have been building and adding inventory for a growing U.S. travel market.   In 2009, the industry took a sharp dive in travel demand which resulted in excess inventory and not enough demand to fill the void. Hence, you begin to see discounted travel offers by suppliers to step up their marketing efforts to fill lagging inventory and entice travelers to book.   Some of these travel offers are “Last Minute” and some are discounted offers to persuade travelers to commit for travel later in the year.

So what should be your plan of attack? First thing to do is to call us;  we see and hear about all the deals that are flying around on a daily basis from cruises to vacation packages all over the world. Next,  be patient and flexible,  if  you are planning on traveling during a “peak period”.   The deals are not going to be as grand as travel during the shoulder or low season. Airline seats are going to the key factor, if the carriers cut back on lift into your destination, seats will be tight. Watch the fares and inventory, don’t wait until the last minute to book because the seats won’t be there.  (James TravelPOINTS online booking Tool) 

Travel offers and deals into Mexico and Central America will be in fairly good supply this year again along with many of the resorts offering great amenities. Cruises deals are going to be in large supply this coming year,  with some of the best deals available into Alaska, Europe and the Caribbean.  Many of the cruise lines have added new ships into their fleet in 2009 and many others are expecting to take possession of more ships in 2010. With an increase in cruise berths supply, the cruise industry has made a concerted effort to fill their ships, once filled, they plan to make up any revenue short fall with on-board purchases i.e. gambling, on-board shopping, shore excursions, signature dining, drinks etc. If you are planning to visit Europe this year, a cruise is a very effective way to see the sights and save. Call us; we have blocked space with many of the cruise lines that offer extra amenities on top of great pricing. In 2010, we don’t see a lot of change compared to the deals offered in 2009. The travel offers and savings are going to be abundant during the year. Our outlook for travel in 2010,  steady with modest gains over 2009.  Until  employment and the economy starts to turn around and more of the traveling public starts traveling again, demand for travel will creep along in small strides.  I don’t see a reduction in inventory, especially when all these new cruise ships are coming online in the coming year and there is an over abuntant of resorts and hotels to be filled.   Are You Receiving “Last Minute Travel Offers” If you receive a cruise or tour offer in the mail or email, call us, we can help you out and it won’t cost you anymore money. Every day we receive phone calls and emails from our clients asking if we can help them out by booking travel offers they have received in the mail or email from travel suppliers, yes of course we can. In many of the situations, we are able to find a better value for the price, because our staff work with these suppliers on a daily basis, they know which companies are offering sub-standard deals and which companies are offering really good deals.

Agent Profile – Peggy Wood

Peggy has been a travel consultant with James TravelPoints for the past 15 years. She has extensive personal travel experience throughout Europe and has been recognized by American Express as an Italy Specialist. Peggy has traveled to Europe many times exploring various destinations with an eye on Boutique Hotels and Villas. She has participated on many walking tour adventures with “Back Roads” and has great advice for clients seeking walking and sightseeing tours. Peggy is also a South Pacific specialist and recently returned from a 2 week vacation to New Zealand. In additional she has traveled to South Africa, Hawaii, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica and the Caribbean. She also very adept at domestic and international airline reservations. Her service specialties are luxury vacations, romantic honeymoons, customized boutique hotel journeys and intimate getaways to exotic destinations along with adventure travel. You can contact Peggy at 303-442-2340x 237 or email her at: Sicily Italy – Great Vacation Destination

Americans are just beginning to discover what savvy European travelers have known for years–which Sicily is one of the great vacation spots in Europe. Sicily is small enough that you can conquer it by car in a week although two weeks would be better. Happiness is driving through a world of vineyards and citrus groves, ancient Greek towns and temples while dining on incredible Sicilian fare. Below is the route I choose to travel and would gladly arrange for you. (Click here to read more about Peggy’s Trip)

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