Introducing the perfect travel companion for the next generation of travel.
With airlines now charging for bags, this may be the best 'weigh' to beat the system.
This compact tool allows you to weight your luggage at home or at the hotel. With easy to read digital display, you can lift up to 100Lbs or 44 Kg, wait for the beep, set the luggage down and read the weight.
Makes a great gift for your traveling employees, can also be customized with your company logo.
For more information, please call: 714-200-2272
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Business Travel Intelligence: Travel Agents, a thing of the past?
In the list of Top 10 Concerns for Business Travel in 2008, most concerns are related to rising prices and cost containment.
But, when it comes to working with a professional travel agency to control costs, most people have been taught to believe that a travel agent is not necessary to achieve desired results.
Agent VS the Internet
Who is going to track changes or unused value?
Did you know this ticket value can often be applied to future trips?
But, when it comes to working with a professional travel agency to control costs, most people have been taught to believe that a travel agent is not necessary to achieve desired results.
“Travel agents are such a thing of the past – I have access to the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So why would I pay someone to book my travel when I can do a better job myself for a lot less money?"
That is a great question!
Lets break down the reservation process:
Each area will be supplemented with key points that will be referred to as Business Travel Intelligence (BTI): Agent VS the Internet
Lets assume you know exactly where you need to go and how long you need to be there.
You search the internet for the best fare, the best times, etc. With any luck – you find a preferred carrier to build your status and collect miles. Let’s assume this research takes one hour.
- BTI #1: Cost of Travel VS Labor - By breaking the cost of booking travel into three categories: time, labor and actual cost of ticketing, you will find that the cost of employees self-booking travel often increases the cost of your companies overhead by inefficiently utilizing your personnel.
Once you find the perfect trip, on the internet, you book it. But when you click "purchase" you find out that there have been additional service fees attached to this ticket! Usually in the neighborhood of $10 - $25 per transaction.
- BTI #2: Finding VALUE versus a cheap deal - Rather than focus on lowest price, take a look at the overall VALUE. The key is to find the best price for your particular needs.
Is this ticket refundable?
What if the flight is cancelled?Who is going to track changes or unused value?
Did you know this ticket value can often be applied to future trips?
- BTI #3 A reliable, resource & personal relationship - Beyond basic reservations and ticketing support, it is becoming increasingly important to have someone in your corner when your trip hits a proverbial ‘bump in the road’. Most airlines outsource customer service to overseas operators and the wait time can be significant. Why not call your personal agency and let them handle everything on your behalf? Chances are they have access to support and options that you may not be aware of.
Now, think for a moment about the following scenario:
An employee books a trip from LAX to JFK for $976.00.
The employee pays out of pocket for a trip (via personal credit card), and submits for reimbursement.
At the last minute, the trip is cancelled. Your employee calls the airlines, who disclose the level of refundability. What happens to the unused ticket when a change or cancellation is made?
It comes down to:
A) Non refundable – incur a $976.00 loss
B) Refundable – $976.00 credit to apply to future use (minus change fees).
Chances are the trip was submitted for reimbursement, but because the ticket was purchased by the employee and the company does not have access to the ticket information, the unused ticket is now available for personal use by the employee.
After a few of these oversights, the cost of lost tickets can have a huge impact on the companies bottom line as it relates to T&E Expenditures.
In most companies, the cost of a thorough audit of every expense report could cost much more than the potential savings. Sadly, this sort of thing happens in most companies more often than they would ever imagine. Sometimes in the upwards of 100’s of thousands of dollars per year, depending on the volume of travel.
So, back to that pesky travel agent – to think, at a minimal cost, you have an extra set of eyes on your travelers, travel patterns, and travel spend.
A good business travel partner will pay for themselves over and over again.
Global Screening Program Launches Monday May 12, 2008
(04/24/2008)The Global EntryTM is a new pilot program managed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection which allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers expedited clearance upon arrival into the United States.
Participants will enter the United States by utilizing automated kiosks located, first at Terminal 4 - John F. Kennedy International Airport, Washington-Dulles International Airport, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The process will require participants to present their machine-readable U.S. passport or permanent residency card, submit their fingerprints for biometric verification, and make a customs declaration at the kiosk’s touch-screen. Upon successful completion of the Global EntryTM process at the kiosk, the traveler will be issued a transaction receipt and directed to baggage claim and the exit, unless chosen for a selective or random secondary referral.
To learn more about this program or for application information please visit: www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/global_entry
Participants will enter the United States by utilizing automated kiosks located, first at Terminal 4 - John F. Kennedy International Airport, Washington-Dulles International Airport, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The process will require participants to present their machine-readable U.S. passport or permanent residency card, submit their fingerprints for biometric verification, and make a customs declaration at the kiosk’s touch-screen. Upon successful completion of the Global EntryTM process at the kiosk, the traveler will be issued a transaction receipt and directed to baggage claim and the exit, unless chosen for a selective or random secondary referral.
To learn more about this program or for application information please visit: www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/global_entry
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Four Secrets to Picking the Right Travel Agent by Christopher Elliott
Here is a great article from one of my favorite travel writers. Christopher provides a great checklist of things to look for when choosing the right travel professional:
Picking the Right Travel Agent
By Christopher Elliott, Tribune Media Services
April 30, 2008
Who needs a travel agent anymore?
Fewer of us do, apparently. Just eight years ago, there were 124,030 travel agents in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2006, that number had fallen by about 30 percent, to 87,600 agents.
The government's outlook for the business is downright depressing. It projects "little or no growth" for travel professionals during the next eight years, as market share gains made by online giants like Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity are held in check by a small bump in demand for specialized travel advice.
In fact, many readers of this column believe that's optimistic. They think travel agents are completely obsolete.
"They are an outdated remnant of past practices that add virtually no value to any transaction today," says Bill Clements, who works for an airline in Ypsilanti, Mich. He also took me to task for recommending agents in my columns, accusing me of being "the biggest lackey for them that I have ever experienced."
I hear from readers like Clements constantly. Every week, I seem to be on the receiving end of an angry anti-agent missive that starts with, "How could you?"
So let me talk about how I could.
Why do I still like agents? A competent travel adviser can be your greatest asset when you're planning a trip.
The key word here is "competent." And let me also define what I mean by agent: I'm not necessarily talking about an offshore call center worker reading from a script or a hobbyist who paid a few hundred bucks for bogus agency credentials.
I mean a bona fide, certified travel professional. It's not a popular position to take. I know. There's no shortage of horrific travel agent stories making the rounds these days. I have a stack of grievances that follow the same basic narrative.
It goes something like this:
I booked a trip through online agency X. Something went wrong -- my flight was rescheduled or there was a problem with the hotel reservation. When I phoned the company, I was transferred to half a dozen departments and ended up speaking with someone in Bangalore who I could barely understand. Five hours later, I'm no closer to fixing the problem. Help!
Let me take a moment to say I mean no disrespect to online travel agencies. Most of the airline seats, cruises and hotel rooms booked through these large sites are problem-free. It's the way they address the inevitable problems that leaves something to be desired in the view of many readers.
Jeffrey Alter, an attorney from New Orleans, bought an airline ticket through an online agency recently. But when he received his final bill, he noticed a $50 transaction fee had been added to his credit card statement. No one had mentioned the fee to him when he booked the ticket. I asked him to check the terms and conditions on the website, and sure enough, there was a note about a $30 transaction fee.
So why did they bill him $20 more, and why didn't they tell him up front? I suggested Alter contact the agency. He did.
Its response? "Do you believe we provide airline tickets for zero renumeration (sic)? We wouldn't be in business long if we did that."
Now that's what I call customer service.
The other side of this equation is do-it-yourselfers -- people who have paid hundreds or thousands of dollars to become "instant" travel agents. These amateurs give other agents a bad name largely because they're untrained. They've just paid someone for a card that says they're real travel agents, but they often don't know the difference between a stopover and a layover. Instant agents are more victims than anything else, though. They've been scammed into thinking they could become real agents by writing a check.
But even after weeding out the phonies and dot-comers, you're still left with a group of agents that can be less than perfect.
Bob Barstow, a long-time reader of my columns, has had his run-ins with well-trained, legitimate travel agents that left him disappointed. He says he's never experienced the "go-the-extra-mile" attitude for which these trained professionals are supposedly known.
"You imply that the business is full of agents dedicated to the travelers' well-being, and will go out of their way for their customer," he told me. "I have yet to meet this agent."
There's more about Barstow's unfortunate travel agent experiences -- and the interesting answers from agents -- on my blog.
To Barstow, Alter and yes, even to Clements, let me say: you need to find a good agent. Here are a few tips:
1. Look for the right certification.
If the agent is a member of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) (www.asta.org), that's a promising sign. ASTA is the world's largest association of travel professionals, with a code of ethics that tends to keep the riff raff out. If your travel adviser is certified by The Travel Institute (http://www.thetravelinstitute.com), which offers courses on various destinations and travel specialties, that's a bonus. Another membership worth looking for is the Association of Retail Travel Agents (www.artaonline.com).
Affiliation with a large organization like AAA or a company such as Carlson Wagonlit can be evidence that your agent is on the up-and-up. Your agent should also comply with any state seller of travel laws and carry error and omission insurance.
2. If at all possible, stay local.
There's no substitute for the personal touch. My best experiences with agents have been one-on-one. The ability to meet -- to look the agent in the eye, to shake his or her hand -- is something online agencies can't match. (Note: not all agents work in an office, but home-based agents can and do make personal visits.)
The only exception to this rule is if you're looking for an agent with a sought-after specialty. But even then, a trusted voice on the phone is preferable to the often unintelligible, script-reading customer service associate you're connected to when dealing with a large agency.
3. Interview the agent.
Don't pick the first agent you find. Talk to the travel pro. Find out how long he or she has been in business. Ask about fees (yes, they charge booking fees, but they're worth it if you get into a pinch). I would recommend conducting the interview in person. Pay close attention not only to the way your prospective agent responds, but also at what's going on in the office around you. Are the other agents taking the time to talk with customers, or do they only seem interested in pressuring their clients to make a booking decision? Does the agent you're interviewing seem distracted or focused on trying to help you? If you don't like what you see, move on.
4. Find out how they react under pressure.
The only way to know for certain if your travel agent is a keeper is to see what happens when you run into trouble. And you will have that opportunity, eventually. When your flight is delayed or your hotel is overbooked or your travel insurance claim isn't being honored, what will your agent do? See, agents are compensated for the booking -- either with a fee you pay or a commission they take directly from the company. If they leave you hanging or do nothing more than send you the company's 800-number, they're not your agent. Chances are, they're just in it for the commission.
Good travel agents have an edge over almost any other seller of travel. They know what you want. They speak your language. And they're there for you when you run into trouble.
In other words, travel agents aren't obsolete. Only the bad ones are.
Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine and the host of "What You Get For The Money: Vacations" on the Fine Living Network.
E-mail him at celliott@ngs.org.
(c) 2008 Christopher Elliott Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
Picking the Right Travel Agent
By Christopher Elliott, Tribune Media Services
April 30, 2008
Who needs a travel agent anymore?
Fewer of us do, apparently. Just eight years ago, there were 124,030 travel agents in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2006, that number had fallen by about 30 percent, to 87,600 agents.
The government's outlook for the business is downright depressing. It projects "little or no growth" for travel professionals during the next eight years, as market share gains made by online giants like Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity are held in check by a small bump in demand for specialized travel advice.
In fact, many readers of this column believe that's optimistic. They think travel agents are completely obsolete.
"They are an outdated remnant of past practices that add virtually no value to any transaction today," says Bill Clements, who works for an airline in Ypsilanti, Mich. He also took me to task for recommending agents in my columns, accusing me of being "the biggest lackey for them that I have ever experienced."
I hear from readers like Clements constantly. Every week, I seem to be on the receiving end of an angry anti-agent missive that starts with, "How could you?"
So let me talk about how I could.
Why do I still like agents? A competent travel adviser can be your greatest asset when you're planning a trip.
The key word here is "competent." And let me also define what I mean by agent: I'm not necessarily talking about an offshore call center worker reading from a script or a hobbyist who paid a few hundred bucks for bogus agency credentials.
I mean a bona fide, certified travel professional. It's not a popular position to take. I know. There's no shortage of horrific travel agent stories making the rounds these days. I have a stack of grievances that follow the same basic narrative.
It goes something like this:
I booked a trip through online agency X. Something went wrong -- my flight was rescheduled or there was a problem with the hotel reservation. When I phoned the company, I was transferred to half a dozen departments and ended up speaking with someone in Bangalore who I could barely understand. Five hours later, I'm no closer to fixing the problem. Help!
Let me take a moment to say I mean no disrespect to online travel agencies. Most of the airline seats, cruises and hotel rooms booked through these large sites are problem-free. It's the way they address the inevitable problems that leaves something to be desired in the view of many readers.
Jeffrey Alter, an attorney from New Orleans, bought an airline ticket through an online agency recently. But when he received his final bill, he noticed a $50 transaction fee had been added to his credit card statement. No one had mentioned the fee to him when he booked the ticket. I asked him to check the terms and conditions on the website, and sure enough, there was a note about a $30 transaction fee.
So why did they bill him $20 more, and why didn't they tell him up front? I suggested Alter contact the agency. He did.
Its response? "Do you believe we provide airline tickets for zero renumeration (sic)? We wouldn't be in business long if we did that."
Now that's what I call customer service.
The other side of this equation is do-it-yourselfers -- people who have paid hundreds or thousands of dollars to become "instant" travel agents. These amateurs give other agents a bad name largely because they're untrained. They've just paid someone for a card that says they're real travel agents, but they often don't know the difference between a stopover and a layover. Instant agents are more victims than anything else, though. They've been scammed into thinking they could become real agents by writing a check.
But even after weeding out the phonies and dot-comers, you're still left with a group of agents that can be less than perfect.
Bob Barstow, a long-time reader of my columns, has had his run-ins with well-trained, legitimate travel agents that left him disappointed. He says he's never experienced the "go-the-extra-mile" attitude for which these trained professionals are supposedly known.
"You imply that the business is full of agents dedicated to the travelers' well-being, and will go out of their way for their customer," he told me. "I have yet to meet this agent."
There's more about Barstow's unfortunate travel agent experiences -- and the interesting answers from agents -- on my blog.
To Barstow, Alter and yes, even to Clements, let me say: you need to find a good agent. Here are a few tips:
1. Look for the right certification.
If the agent is a member of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) (www.asta.org), that's a promising sign. ASTA is the world's largest association of travel professionals, with a code of ethics that tends to keep the riff raff out. If your travel adviser is certified by The Travel Institute (http://www.thetravelinstitute.com), which offers courses on various destinations and travel specialties, that's a bonus. Another membership worth looking for is the Association of Retail Travel Agents (www.artaonline.com).
Affiliation with a large organization like AAA or a company such as Carlson Wagonlit can be evidence that your agent is on the up-and-up. Your agent should also comply with any state seller of travel laws and carry error and omission insurance.
2. If at all possible, stay local.
There's no substitute for the personal touch. My best experiences with agents have been one-on-one. The ability to meet -- to look the agent in the eye, to shake his or her hand -- is something online agencies can't match. (Note: not all agents work in an office, but home-based agents can and do make personal visits.)
The only exception to this rule is if you're looking for an agent with a sought-after specialty. But even then, a trusted voice on the phone is preferable to the often unintelligible, script-reading customer service associate you're connected to when dealing with a large agency.
3. Interview the agent.
Don't pick the first agent you find. Talk to the travel pro. Find out how long he or she has been in business. Ask about fees (yes, they charge booking fees, but they're worth it if you get into a pinch). I would recommend conducting the interview in person. Pay close attention not only to the way your prospective agent responds, but also at what's going on in the office around you. Are the other agents taking the time to talk with customers, or do they only seem interested in pressuring their clients to make a booking decision? Does the agent you're interviewing seem distracted or focused on trying to help you? If you don't like what you see, move on.
4. Find out how they react under pressure.
The only way to know for certain if your travel agent is a keeper is to see what happens when you run into trouble. And you will have that opportunity, eventually. When your flight is delayed or your hotel is overbooked or your travel insurance claim isn't being honored, what will your agent do? See, agents are compensated for the booking -- either with a fee you pay or a commission they take directly from the company. If they leave you hanging or do nothing more than send you the company's 800-number, they're not your agent. Chances are, they're just in it for the commission.
Good travel agents have an edge over almost any other seller of travel. They know what you want. They speak your language. And they're there for you when you run into trouble.
In other words, travel agents aren't obsolete. Only the bad ones are.
Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine and the host of "What You Get For The Money: Vacations" on the Fine Living Network.
E-mail him at celliott@ngs.org.
(c) 2008 Christopher Elliott Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
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