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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