Travel is My Life; Work and Pleasure

I have met a cool start up with a very nice application which will duplicate travel agents and will learn their behaviour.  My first question was; are you looking to replace the agents? their answer was no no no, we are looking to empower them by giving them the ability to work 24/7 using their know how and by that allowing them to duplicate / multiply their workforce and work load.

In simple words, this is how Eva works using NLP - Natural Language Processing.

The clients will send simple text email;

“Dear Reem, i would like to fly with my wife; Shelley next Monday from NYC to LON and back after 3 days, i would need a hotel 4 starts in the city centre with 1 double bed, gym and parking as we need a car rental mid size automatic”.

Eva knows how to read this text and actually turn it into a booking !!! 

I have seen it, it rocks - so far in closed Beta mode as they seek funds - Good luck, its not easy these days, but i see great potential in such system.

Thats great news, i would even say the greatest news of the month, it finally happened and now you can gain and spend miles of Conti on Star Allience group, airliens such as Lufti, United, Austrian, Swiss, SAS, Thai, and more.

 

Have fun

RG

I recently flew Royal Jordanian, yes yes, I flew coach for all of you who really wanted to know…

But at the airport I found a simple and relatively cheap way to up grade myself to business class; $300 upgrade for an 8 hours flight is a low price.

So i found myself sitting in an amazing Royal Jordanian business / first class sleeping bed all the way from Amman to Colombo (Sri Lanka) - and it was worth every penny.

Moreover, since in Muslim countries the ladies (married and single as far as I know) can not serve men, the air stewardess where Asians, which gave me a feeling as though I am flying in Singapore Airlines or Thai.

If anyone wants to upgrade to business, come buy the tickets from my office and i will tell you the secret :)

Flying cheap and in class is always fun… travel right means having a good travel agent who knows the small tricks.

Airlines have realized that travel agents are their best point of sale; reliable, knowledgeable, most of all; loyal.

In the current situation when economy has an enormous impact on air travel, I noticed that airlines are courting after travel agents; those same airlines who betrayed the agents point of sale and diminished their commission completely are now crawling door to door trying to promote their products.

I walked into my office this morning, finding a funny looking man and woman; dressed up in an old European fashion outfits, singing and dancing as if they are in the Moulin Rouge.

I felt sorry for them; they probably didn’t sign up for this job when they started working for the airline - but I guess in rough times its better become a pompom girl serving chocolates than open the newspaper and look for a new job.

Will American Airlines come as cheer leaders?   “Ouch”;  What will Lufthansa wear?

I hope tomorrow morning I’ll come in and the Lido girls will be acting as Air France staff…

Knowing the Air France staff; I hope they will NOTcome topless…

Touch Down” for Royal Caribbean; they launched the largest cruise ship in the world; Oasis Of The Seas. The ship will actually board the first passenger in Dec 2009, though the vessel is in the water already.

It’s not really the best time to try and fill up 6296 passengers.

Can Royal Caribbean be optimistic having built a 1 billion Pounds floating city?

I hope projections are to be met; 1.5 million passengers are expected to take a cruise in 2009.

So; is it only the size?

Nops, for the first time they are trying to reduce the fake and improve the reality alike style;

Real life park; where the growing trees are planted in the ground in real soil. (Will they have a Vet. And an Agronomist onboard to make sure no animals, bug or insects who travel the world for free?)

It’s the closest to a real city with a feeling of walking in Paris, London or New York, the arcade and the shopping area looks like a pedestrian area; with the feel and look of a real live and kicking city.

   

   

Originally: World Travel Market - It’s the annual largest travel show in London. Having been there last week I should advise them to change the name to:

Walk - the milleage you walk there is unreal, I advised my partner to the trip to dump her high hills and move to Nike - she only took my advice on the second day…

Talk - the amount of Bla Bla you hear is enormous - everyone wants to sell you something.

Money - Everyone wants to make money, close a deal, bring tourists. The Travel business is a perishable market; a room at the hotel cannot be stored to be sold tomorrow, nor can a seat on a flight etc. It’s very much like the Fish Industry = if you don’t sell you smell…

Therefore, you find yourself walking & talking all day long about how to make money in the travel business.

More than ever, I enjoyed South America booth and Iran. South America was very happy, colorful and in motion; which attracted many visitors to their stands - look at the photos bellow.

Being an Israeli the visit to Iran booth was special, I was invited by the Azadi International Tourism Organization to have tea with Mr. Mahmood Karimi and discuss world travel issues.

Did he gave me his card so i will not forget his face?

      

       

Its not me who says it; you could all watch Ryanair CEO; Michael O’Leary saying it out loud;
Ryanair at a press conference talking about flying UK to USA - over the Atlantic for funny prices. Thus, if you fly transatlantic for 10 Euro you would probably have to pay for the BJ whereas, in his business class its gonna be for free…

Thats an airline i want to fly with tonight

According to the latest USA Visa Weaver Program the following passport holders will be granted electronic US entry permit, thus, will avoid the long queue and interviews to receive a US entry visa.The online application must be done at least 72 hours prior to entry into the United States of America. https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov

Then, who is so lucky to avoid the hassle of getting a visa? Andorra; Australia; Austria; Belgium; Brunei; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany; Iceland; Ireland; Italy; ; Japan; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; Monaco; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Portugal; Sun Marino; Singapore; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; United Kingdom.

I actually read a cool post by Tony Wheeler (founder of Lonely Planet) comparing embassies attitude between encouraging and discouraging tourists through their visa departments.

Those are the moments I wish I had more than one nationality.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i am fed up of this stupid situation.

Too many travel companies collapse, when will it stop? where will it take us? It has such a hugh effect on it all, its crazy.

We have heard and read a great deal about Iceland in the past month; the world’s financial situation has crashed the country to pieces, actually shreded it.

It has been publically announced today, that Sterling DK has shut its operation and all flights are cancelled.

What a shame, we have lost today an amazing low cost airline; Sterling, which served Europe greatly by connecting West and East with Scandinavia for reasonable prices.

I hope they will find an investor to lift them back up in the sky.

I have recently returned via Paris CDG Airport, I was early and the flight was delayed, so I decided to use the spare time to check on my emails.(flight delays is in growth)
I switched on the laptop, and I managed to see there are about 6 WIFI hot spots, having said that, the price per hour is outrageous. The price of 1 hour was 3 x more than what I pay for a month back home. I decided to give up; I rather snooze for that price…
Having thought about it, the airport small restaurants / cafe / sandwich places should give free WIFI connectivity and we all go eat and drink there, after all, its expensive anyhow to drink a diet coke…
For that reason I have gathered a list of FREE WIFI connections at International Worldwide Airports.
Antigua
V.C. Bird International Airport - departure lounge after security

Argentina
EZE Airport - before check-in, near arrivals gate and near gates 6-8 - Buenos Aires

Armenia
Zvartnots International Airport - Yerevan

Aruba
Aruba Airport terminal - Aruba

Austria
Vienna Airport - Vienna

Australia
Adelaide Airport - Adelaide
Virgin Blue lounges - Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney
Darwin Airport - Darwin

Austria
Vienna International Airport - Vienna

Bahrain
Bahrain International Airport - Departures area - Manama

Barbados
Grantley Adams International Airport

Bermuda
L.F. Wade International Airport - departure lounges - St. George

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo International Airport - Sarajevo

Botswana
Maun International Airport - edge of the Okavango Delta - designed for clients of Moremi Air Services and Kwando Safaris who use Maun airport as an operational base for their safari business

Brazil
Congonhas Airport - Sao Paulo

British Isles
Guernsey Airport - Guernsey
Ronaldsway Airport - Isle of Man

Bulgaria
Sofia Airport - Sofia

Canada
Banff Airporter office area - Calgary
Halifax International airport - center court area on the main level and between gates 20-15 on the departures level of the Air Terminal Building - Halifax, Nova Scotia
Dryden Regional Airport - Dryden, Ontario
Fredericton Airport - Fredericton, New Brunswick
St. John’s International Airport - St. John’s, Newfoundland
Quebec Airport - Quebec City, Quebec
Expedia Restaurant - Air Canada Terminal - Toronto
Vancouver International Airport - Vancouver

Chile
Aeropuerto de Santiago - Santiago

China
Airport - front of ticket counters - Changsha, Hunan

Costa Rica
Juan Santamaria International Airport - San Jose

Denmark
Aalborg Airport - Norresundby

Dubai
Dubai International - look for free signals - Dubai

Ecuador
Simon Bolivar International - Guayaquil
Quito Airport, International Terminal - Quito

Egypt
Sharm El Sheik International Airport

Estonia
Kuressaare Airport, Roomassaare tee 1 - Kuressaare
Tallinn Airport, Lennujaama tee 2 - Tallinn

France
Merignac Airport - Bordeaux

Honduras
San Pedro Sula Airport

Hong Kong
Chek Lap Kok Airport
Hong Kong International Airport - Hong Kong

Hungary
Budapest Ferihegy Int’l Airport - Terminals 2A and 2B - free network is Pannongsm - Budapest

Iceland
Keflavik Airport -

India
Madurai, Tiruchi and Coimbatore airports in Tamil Nadu State
Mumbai International Airport/Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport

Iran
Imam Khomeini International Airport - Tehran

Ireland
Shannon Airport - main cafי upstairs and also the departure lounge in front of US immigration - Shannon

Israel
Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion International Airport - Tel Aviv

Japan
Narita Int’l Airport, Terminal 2 - Narita - UPDATE NOT FREE ANYMORE
Kansai Airport - Osaka - UPDATE NOT FREE ANYMORE
ANA lounges - request free WEP key

Kazakhstan
Internation Airport - Almaty

Kosovo
Pristina Airport - Pristina

Kuwait
Kuwait International Airport - Check in areas, restaurants and shops in Arrival & Departure levels

Luxembourg
Luxembourg International Airport

Island of Madeira
Funchal Airport

Latvia
Riga International Airport

Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur Int. Airport

Mexico
Cancun International Airport - Cancun
Benito Juarez International Airport - Mexico City
Puerto Vallarta Airport - Puerto Vallarta

New Zealand
Auckland International Airport - report of free computers in Arrival area, not sure about Wi-Fi access - Auckland
Wellington International Airport - Main Terminal - Wellington

Pakistan
Jinnah International Airport - Karachi

Phillipines
Manila Int. Airport - smoking area - Luzon

Poland
Warsaw Airport - International transit area

Portugal
Faial Island Airport - bar area - Horta -Azores
Madeira Island Airport - Madeira Island

Puerto Rico
San Juan Int. Airport - try to connect to the ATT network - San Juan

Qatar
Doha International Airport

Romania
International Airport Traian Vuia - Timisoara

Russia
Sheremetyevo-2 (SVO) Airport - departure terminal, waiting hall, cafes and vip-halls - Moscow

Singapore
Changi Airport - near free computers

Slovenia
Ljubljana International Airport - at departure gates

South Korea
Incheon International Airport

Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Airways Business Class lounge area - Columbo International Airport

Taiwan
Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport - Terminal 2

Thailand
Suvarnabhumi Airport - Bangkok

Trinidad
Piarco International Airport

Turkey
Ataturk Airport - Millenium Lounge access for several airline Club members - Istanbul
Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport

Tunisia
Tunis Carthage Airport

UK
British Airways’ lounges at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Jersey have Free Wi-Fi.

Ukraine
Kyiv Boryspil International Airport - Boryspil

United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi International Airport

Uruguay
Carrasco Intl. Airport - Departure Area - Montevideo

Vietnam
Tan Son Nhat International Airport - Ho Chi Minh City

USA
American Airlines Admirals Club must enter a valid club card number to get access

United Airlines 27 Red Carpet Clubs and 5 International First Class lounges is free for members

Continental Airlines offers Free wireless high speed internet access to members in 22 Presidents Club locations in major airports around the USA

Northwest WorldClubs Alaska Airlines Clubs Alabama

Birmingham International Airport - Birmingham
Huntsville Airport - Huntsville
Madison County Executive Airport - Huntsville
Montgomery Regional Airport (Dannelly Field) - Montgomery
Northwest Alabama Regional Airport - Muscle Shoals

Alaska
Anchorage Airport - Anchorage
Ketchikan International Airport - Ketchikan
Valdez Municipal Arpt - Valdez

Arizona
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport - Phoenix
Tucson International Airport - Tucson
Valle Airport - Valle
Yuma International - Yuma

Arkansas
Fort Smith Regional Airport - Fort Smith
Little Rock National Airport - Little Rock
Texarkana Airport - Texarkana

California
Meadows Field, WM Thomas Terminal - Bakersfield
Chico Municipal Airport - Chico
Arcata/Eureka Airport - Eureka
Hayward Airport - Hayward
Livermore Airport - Livermore
Long Beach Airport - Long Beach
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge - LAX
Modesto City-County Airport - Modesto
Redding Municipal Airport - Redding
BSAir at the Reedley Muni Airport - Reedley
Sacramento International Airport - Sacramento
Lindberg Field - San Diego
San Diego International Airport - San Diego
Mineta San Jose International Airport - San Jose
Santa Maria Airport - Santa Maria
Santa Ynez Airport - Santa Ynez

Colorado
Centennial Airport - Centennial
Colorado Springs Airport - Colorado Springs
Denver International Airport - Denver
Eagle (Vail) Airport

Connecticut
Bradley International Airport - Windsor Locks

Florida
Daytona Beach Airport - signal availability reported in Ticketing Area - Daytona Beach
Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport - all terminals - Ft. Lauderdale
Southwest Florida International Airport - Ft.Myers
Okaloosa Regional Airport - Fort Walton Beach
Gainesville Regional Airport - Gainesville
Jacksonville Airport - Jacksonville
Key West International - Key West
LaBelle Municipal Airport - LaBelle
Melbourne International Airport - Melbourne
Orlando International Airport - all public areas and the “Cell Phone” parking lot - Orlando
Palm Beach International - Palm Beach
Pensacola Int. Airport - Pensacola
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport - Sarasota
Tallahassee Airport - Tallahassee
Tampa International - main building and both satellite terminals - Tampa
Palm Beach International Airport - West Palm Beach

Georgia
Augusta Regional Airport - Augusta
Brunswick Golden Isle Airport - Brunswick
Fulton County Airport (FTY) - Raytheon Aircraft Services Terminal

Hawaii
Honolulu Airport-Gate 13 - Honolulu

Idaho
Idaho Falls Airport - Idaho Falls
Nez Perce County Regional Airport - Lewiston

Illinois
Central Illinois Regional Airport - Bloomington/Normal
University of Illinois Willard Airport - Champaign/Urbana
Quad City International Airport - Moline
Peoria Regional Airport - Peoria
Rockford Airport - Rockford
Capital Airport - Springfield

Indiana
Evansville Regional Airport - Evansville
Fort Wayne International Airport - Fort Wayne (free Cat5/RJ45 access too)
Smith Field Airport - Fort Wayne
Montgomery Aviation - Indianapolis Executive Airport - Zionsville

Iowa
CY Aviation, Boone Airport - Boone
Eastern Iowa Regional Airport - Cedar Rapids
Dubuque Regional Airport - Dubuque
Sioux City Airport - business center and JetSun Aviation facility - Sioux City
Waterloo Airport - Waterloo

Kansas
Hays Regional Airport - Hays
Wichita Mid-Continent Airport - Wichita

Kentucky
CVG Airport - Hebron
Bluegrass Airport - Lexington

Louisiana
Lafayette Regional Airport - Lafayette
Lake Charles Airport - Lake Charles
Louis Armstong International - New Orleans

Maryland
Hagerstown Municipal Airport - Hagerstown

Michigan
Gerald R. Ford International Airport- Grand Rapids
Ford Airport - Kingsford/Iron Mountain
Capital City Airport - Lansing
Sawyer International Airport - Marquette
Muskegon County Airport - Muskegon
Pellston Regional Airport - Pellston
Saginaw MBS International

Minnesota
Beltrami County Airport - Bemidji
Duluth Int. Airport - Duluth
Rochester International Airport - Rochester

Mississippi
Golden Triangle Regional Airport - Columbus
Gulfport/Biloxi International Airport
Hattiesburg-Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport - no commercial flights - Hattiesburg
Jackson Airport - Jackson
Tupelo Regional Airport - Tupelo

Missouri
Taney County Airport - Branson
Columbia Regional Airport - Columbia
Joplin Regional Airport - ask ticket agent for access location - Joplin
Kansas City International Airport - Kansas City
Springfield-Branson Airport - Springfield

Montana
Bozeman Gallatin Airport - Bozeman
Great Falls International Airport - Great Falls
Helena Regional Airport - Helena
Missoula International Airport - Missoula

Nevada
Henderson Executive Airport - Henderson
McCarran Airport - Las Vegas
North Las Vegas Airport
Reno-Tahoe International Airport - Reno

New Hampshire
Manchester, Boston Regional Airport - Manchester

New Jersey
Atlantic City Airport - Atlantic City

New Mexico
Albuquerque International Sunport/Airport - Albuquerque
Los Alamos County Airport - Los Alamos
Taos Municipal Airport - Taos

New York
Binghamton Airport - Binghamton
Elmira-Corning Regional Airport - Elmira
JetBlue Airways - Terminal 6 - JFK Airport - Jamaica, Queens
Tompkins County Regional Airport - Ithaca
Rochester Airport - Rochester
Syracuse International - Syracuse

North Carolina
Charlotte Douglas International Airport - ask at Info Desk for access area info - Charlotte
Asheville Regional Airport - Fletcher
Albert J. Ellis Airport - Jacksonville
Kinston Airport - Kinston
New Bern Airport - New Bern
Wilmington International Airport - Wilmington

North Dakota
Bismarck Municipal Airport - general aviation lounge - Bismarck
Hector International Airport - Fargo
Grand Forks Airport - Grand Forks

Ohio
Akron Airport - Akron
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport - Concourse C, ticketing and baggage claim areas of Terminal 3, ticketing, baggage claim and holding areas of Terminal 2
Ohio State University Airport - Columbus
Port Columbus International Airport - Columbus
Dayton International Airport - Dayton
Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport - Vienna

Oregon
Eugene Airport - Eugene
Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport - Medford
Southwest Oregon Regional Airport - North Bend
Portland International Airport - Main Level - Portland
Redmond Airport - Redmond

Pennsylvania
Lehigh Valley International Airport - Allentown
Erie Airport - Erie
Harrisburg International Airport - Harrisburg
Arnold Palmer Regional Airport - Latrobe
Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport - Mt Pocono
Philadelphia International Airport - look for ATT WiFi - Philadelphia
Pittsburgh Airport - Pittsburgh
Brandywine Airport - West Chester
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

North Carolina
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport - Charlotte

South Carolina
Charleston Airport - Charleston
Columbia Metropolitan Airport - Columbia
Horry County Airport - Conway
Florence Regional Airport - Florence
Greenville/Spartanburg Airport
Myrtle Beach Airport - Myrtle Beach

South Dakota
Rapid City Airport - Rapid City

Tennessee
Tri-Cities Regional Airport - Blountville
Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport - Chattanooga
KnoxAir at TYS - McGee-Tyson Airport and DKX - Island Home Airport - Knoxville

Texas
Rick Husband Inernational Airport - Amarillo
Harrison Aviation - Arlington Municipal Airport - Arlington
Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport - Brownsville
Easterwood Airport - College Station
Corpus Christi International Airport - Corpus Christi
Admiral’s Clubs - DFW - Dallas/Ft.Worth
Valley International Airport - Harlingen
East Texas Regional Airport - Longview
Lubbock International Airport - Lubbock
McAllen-Miller International Airport - McAllen
San Angelo Municipal Airport - San Angelo
San Antonio International Airport - San Antonio
Tyler Pounds Regional Airport - Tyler

Vermont
Burlington International Airport - South Burlington

Virginia
Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport - terminal area
Leesburg Executive Airport - Leesburg
Lynchburg Regional Airport - Lynchburg
Newport News/Williamsburg Airport - Newport News
Richmond Airport - Richmond
Roanoke Airport - Roanoke

Washington
Bellingham International Airport - Bellingham
Grant County Airport - Moses Lake
Tri-Cities Airport - Pasco
Pullman Moscow Airport- Pullman
Walla`Walla Regional Airport - Walla Walla
Pangborn Field Airport - Wenatchee

West Virginia
Yeager Airport - Charleston
Tri-State Airport - Huntington

Wisconsin
Gen. Mitchell Int. Airport - Milwaukee
KOEO FBO’s - Top Dog Aviation (Northeast Hangar Base), Ward Aviation (Northeast Hangar Base), Terminal Building (South West Side) - Osceola

Wyoming
Natrona County International Airport - Casper
Cheyenne Regional Airport - Cheyenne

If you have more info please send me and I will update the table for all of us.

Alitalia - Is it a Re-organize or a Closure?
The future of the airline is unknown as they filed for bankruptcy protection with the Italian Court on August 28th 2008. 

 

There are rumors that the airline will be shut down as a government owned company and a new company will be formed probably with a new name and definitely new owners :)

We have seen it in the past few years in Swissair becoming Swiss overnight, Sabena becoming Brussels Airways.

In the past few days all my clients have asked to be shifted from Alitalia to other carriers.

Can we sell Alitalia tickets - IMHO; Yes.

 

As Israelis we always ask ourselves; is this route a safe route to fly? what happens in case of emergency landing?

Well, I dont have the answers to what may happen in case you land on the lap of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad… though as a professional travel agent I could reccomend you which airlines are safer in respect to their routes flying via Europe to Asia.

Please note, that my advise has nothing to do with the safety of the aircraft, nor last minute and Force Majeure cases where airlines must change their routes.

* KLM & Air France are the ones mostly known for last minute changes of routes and they are NOT obliged to advise in advance.

Have a safe and easy flight:

Airline	Code	Japan	HongKong	China	Philippines	India	Thailand	Korea	Singapore
Lufthansa	LH	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	NOT SAFE	NOT SAFE	SAFE	NOT SAFE
Swiss	LX	SAFE	SAFE			NOT SAFE	NOT SAFE		NOT SAFE
AirFrance	AF	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	NOT SAFE	NOT SAFE	SAFE	NOT SAFE
British	BA	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE		NOT SAFE	NOT SAFE		NOT SAFE
KLM	KL	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE
Turkish	TK	SAFE	NOT SAFE	SAFE		NOT SAFE	NOT SAFE	SAFE	NOT SAFE
Austrian	OS	SAFE		SAFE		NOT SAFE	NOT SAFE		NOT SAFE
Alitalia	AZ	SAFE		SAFE		NOT SAFE	NOT SAFE
ELAL	LY		SAFE	SAFE		SAFE	SAFE

NOT SAFE = Above Arab Countries

Everyone in the industry is talking about the end of the paper ticket era, is that true, will June 1st be the cut over day? Are all the airlines ready… I am not sure?!

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) began an important countdown - 7 days to 100% e-ticketing. “In7 days the paper ticket gets put in a museum. On June 1, 2008 we will achieve 100% electronic ticketing,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
IATA began the drive to 100% e-ticketing as part of its Simplifying the Business programme in June 2004 with the dual goals of making travel and shipping more convenient and more cost efficient. “E-ticketing is the flagship project of Simplifying the Business. While a paper ticket costs US$10 to process, e-ticketing reduces that cost to US$1. The industry will save over US$3 billion each year by offering the passenger a better service. There is no better win-win proposition,” said Bisignani.When the programme began in June 2004, only 18% of tickets issued globally were e-tickets. Today e-ticketing penetration is over 93%. “It is an incredible industry success story. When we began over 28 million paper tickets were issued each month. We have reduced that number to less than 3 million,” said Bisignani.

Challenges remain. E-ticketing penetration in Africa is only 83% and has reached 84% in Middle East North Africa (MENA). The real concern is Russia and CIS, which is at 54% due to a late start while the government changed legislation to allow for e-tickets.

Consumers can anticipate more convenient travel in an electronic world. 100% ET eliminates lost tickets, makes itinerary changes easy and enables a wide array of self-service options. Having said that, on a daily basis we as travel agents face issues with complicated tickets and combination of airlines where airlines are losing booking references and airlines are not honoring other carrier’s tickets.

I look forward to the new era, its not going to be an easy period for travel agents, though it will take travel another step further which I am sure travelers will benefit.

The “evolution” of the paper tickets; trust me; 1 week to go and nothing much has changed…

All being used today - and we are 1 week to shut down.

Traveling in and out from the USA is becoming unbearable, as travelers go through excessive security checks. The US TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has tightened the security measures to an extreme level, to such extent that travelers in many cases feel they are prisoners rather than tourists.

Basically it has become a nightmare to fly in or out of the USA. Travelers are subject to long queues of:

Cavity search, biometric data, full body pad-down, body screening, remove shows & belts, dog sniffing, computer hard drive swap and copy, and now the new regulation known as: “SSSS”, which is marked on your check in ticket randomly. However, random or not, all Middle East passport holders are automatically SSSS marked, though, TSA squad will put in plain words: “Random Check…” - it sounds more as racism and discrimination rather than random.

The new GE CTX 9000 DSi - Explosive Detection System will “Puff” air at you detecting explosive signs. Moreover, the new machine actually screens you totally.

I have not once heard a client say, it’s on the verge of invasion of privacy; they see my whole body naked.

I have come across the Ryanair website comment on security check ups; no words are needed; is this the future of airport security…

Lately, travel agents have been receiving more and more fraud emails requesting business class and first class tickets on specific routes; starting in; Nigeria - Lagos.

The process is as follows; the so called Nigerian Travel Agent requests assistance to book his VIP clients flights and hotels. Once the travel agency (outside Nigeria) books it all, he is given a stolen credit card which is not yet reported to the authorities.

Thus, the agent who is being conned is not yet aware of the fact that has just lost a few thousands of Dollars.

The Nigerians who have given a fake UK address including a non existing UK mobile number, a free web based email are long gone.

The Nigerians, in order to conceal their tracks, and perfect their crime, they manage to change names on the air tickets through contacts they have at the local airline branch. They then resell the ticket to anyone who is willing to pay them in cash.

Not until that long ago, travel agents had a way to protect themselves from such actions; they used the given credit card as a means to pay the airline directly. Rather than what is accustomed; client pay agent, agent pays airline. Now days, due to fraud levels, the airlines hold the agents accountable for any fraud done by the travelers.

Beware - work with who you know and trust.

I have received many responses on my previous blog post, therefore, I have decided to put some time and collecting info on the airlines lounges and their websites.

I am sure the list is incomplete, therefore, if you care and have more info and details please send me an email and I will be happy to update the data.

Airline Name	Lounge Name	Locations
Aer Lingus	Gold Circle & Premier Lounge	Dublin, Cork, Shannon, London-Heathrow, Boston
Aegean Airlines	Eleftherios Venizelos
AeroMexico	Salon Premier	Cancún, Ciudad Juárez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, León, Mérida, Mexico City, Monterrey, Tijuana
Air Canada	Maple Leaf Lounge	Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Montréal, Ottawa, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Quebec City, Regina, St. Johns, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Air Canada	Arrivals Lounge	London-Heathrow
Air France	Air France Lounges	Paris Charles De Gaulle, Paris Orly, Bordeaux, Barcelona, Berlin- Tegel, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Lisbon, London - heathrow, Manchester, Milan - Malpensa, Munich, Rome, Stuttgart, Zurich, Douala, Dubai, Johannesburg, Lagos, Chicago - O’hare, Houston, Montreal - Trudeau, New York JFK, Rio De Janeiro, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Washington DC Dulles International Airport, Bangkok, Hong-Kong, Noumea, Tokyo-Narita, Cayenne, Fort de France, Pointe a Pitre, Reunion
Air France	Sky Team Lounge Europe	Amsterdam, Athens, Brussels, Catania, Frankfurt, London - Gatwick, London - Heathrow, Milan - Linate, Milan - Malpensa, Munich, Naples, Palermo, Prague, Rome, Turin, Venice,
Air France	Sky Team Lounges Africa	Dubai , Johannesburg,
Air France	Sky Team Club Americas	Acapulco, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Cancun, Chicago - O’hare, Chihuahua, Cincinnati, Ciudad Juarez, Cleveland, Dallas Ft Worth, Denver, Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale, Guadalajara, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Memphis, Merida, Mexico, Milwaukee, Mineapolis St Paul, Monterrey, Nashville, New Orleans, New York - JFK, LaGuardia, NewArk, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh Durham, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan Puerto Rico, Santiago Du Chili, Seattle Tacoma, Tampa, Toronto, Washington Dulles, Washington National, West Palm Beach
Air France	SkyTeam Lounges Asia Pacific	Bangkok, Cheju, Fukuoka, GwangJu, Hong-Kong, manila, Nagoya, Osaka - Kansai, Pusan, Seoul - Gimpo, Seoul - Incheon, Taego, Tokyo - Narita.
Air France	Arrivals Lounge	Paris - Charles - De Gaulle
Air India	Maharaja Lounge	Chennai, London-Heathrow, Mumbai, New Delhi, New York
Air New Zealand	Koru Club	Auckland, Brisbane, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Honolulu, Invercargill, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Nadi, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Queenstown, Rarotonga, Sydney, Wellington
Alaska Airlines	Board Room	Anchorage, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Vancouver
American Airlines	Admirals Club	Atlanta, Austin, Bogotá, Boston, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Chicago-O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Frankfurt, Honolulu, Kansas City, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Nashville, Newark, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Orange County, Panama City, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Philadelphia, Raleigh/Durham, Rio de Janeiro, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Juan, Santiago, Santo Domingo, São Paulo-Guarulhos, St. Louis, Tokyo-Narita, Toronto-Pearson, Washington-Dulles, Washington-Reagan
American Airlines	Flagship Lounge	Chicago, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, New York-JFK
American Airlines	Arrivals Lounge	London-Heathrow
Asian	OZ Club Lounge	Seoul-Incheon, Seoul-Gimpo
Avianca	VIP Lounge	Bogotá, Cali, Caracas, Barranquilla, Buenos Aires, Guayaquil, New York-JFK, Madrid, Medellin, Quito
British Airways	Executive Club Lounge	Abuja, Bermuda, Dallas/Fort Worth, Dhaka, Houston-Intercontinental, Kingston, Lagos, Lusaka, Milan-Linate, Nairobi, Philadelphia, Phoneix, Rome-Fiumicino, São Paulo-Guarulhos, Stuttgart, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver, Vienna, Warsaw
British Airways	Chesapeake Club Lounge	Baltimore
British Airways	Galleries First	London Heathrow Terminal 5
British Airways	Galleries Club	London Heathrow Terminal 5
British Airways	Galleries Arrivals	London Heathrow Terminal 5
British Airways	Terraces Lounge	Abderdeen, Amsterdam, Athens, Atlanta, Berlin-Tegel, Boston, Brussels, Budapest, Cape Town, Chicago-O’Hare, Cologne/Bonn, Copenhagen, Denver, Dubai, Durban, Düsseldorf, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Geneva, Glasgow, Hamburg, Harare, Istanbul-Atatürk, Jersey, Johannesburg, London-Gatwick, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Manchester, Miami, Milan-Malpensa, Mumbai, New Castle, New York-JFK, Newark, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Tokyo-Narita, Washington-Dulles
British Airways	Arrivals Lounge	London-Heathrow, London-Gatwick
Brussels Airways	SN Lounge	Luanda, Vienna, Douala - Le Wouri, Zagreb, Prague, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Lyon, Toulouse, Banjul, Berlin Tempelhof, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Conakry - Salon Nimba, Budapest, Chennai, Delhi, Tel Aviv, Bologna, Florence, Milan - Malpensa, Rome, Turin, Venice, Abidjan, Nairobi, Monrovia, Casablanca, Oslo, Warsaw, Lisbon, Porto, Kigali, Dakar, Freetown, Ljubljana, Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Seville, Gothenburg, Basle, Geneva, Zurich, Entebbe, Birmingham, Bristol, London - Gatwick, London - heathrow, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Miami, Saint Louis, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Seattle.
Cathay Pacific	Cathay Pacific Business & First Class Lounges	Bahrain, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Frankfurt, Kuala Lumpur, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Penang, Seoul-Incheon, Singapore, Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan, Tokyo-Narita, Vancouver
Cathay Pacific	The Pier	Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific	The Wing
China Airlines	Dynasty Lounge	Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Fukuoka, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Kaoshiung, Kuala Lumpur, Okinawa, San Francisco, Singapore, Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan, Tokyo-Narita
Continental Airlines	Presidents Club	Atlanta, Austin, Chicago-O’Hare, Cleveland, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Guam, Honolulu, Houston-Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York-LaGuardia, Newark, Panama City, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Juan, Seattle/Tacoma, Washington-Reagan
Copa Airlines	Presidents Club	Panama City
Delta Airlines	Crown Room	Atlanta, Boston, Chicago-O’Hare, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Frankfurt, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Jacksonville, Kansas City, London-Gatwick, Los Angeles, Miami, Munich, Nashville, New Orleans, Newark, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Raleigh/Durham, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan, Santiago, São Paulo-Guarulhos, Seattle/Tacoma, Tampa, Washington-Reagan, West Palm Beach
Delta Airlines	Arrivals Lounge	London - Gatwick
ELAL Israel Airlines	King David Lounge	London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Tel Aviv
Israel - Tel Aviv Ben- Gurion other Airlines	Dan Lounge Tel Aviv for all other Airlines.	Ben Gurion Tel Aviv , Israel
Emirates	Emirates Lounge   Emirates Good Morning London	Auckland, Bangkok-Suvarnbahumi, Brisbane, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London-Gatwick, London-Heathrow, Melbourne, Munich, New York-JFK, Perth, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Singapore, Sydney
Eva Air	Evergreen Lounge	Bangkok, San Francisco, Taipei,
Finnair	Finnair Lounge	Helsinki, Stockholm - Arlanda
Hawaiian Airlines	Premier Club	Hilo, Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Lihue, Los Angeles, Pago
Korean Air	KAL Lounge	Chicago, Honolulu, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, New York, Osaka Kansai, Seoul Incheon, Tokyo Narita
Jet Airways	Jet Lounge	Agartala, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Delhi, Mumbai, Brussels, London, Singapore, New York JFK, New York NewArk.
Lufthansa	Senator Lounge	Athens, Atlanta, Berlin-Tegel, Boston, Bremen, Cologne-Bonn, Detroit, Dresden, Dubai, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Houston, Leipzig, London-Heathrow, Milan-Malpensa, Mumbai, Munich, New York-JFK, Newark, Nürnberg, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Stuttgart, Zurich
Lufthansa	Business Lounge	Athens, Bangkok, Berlin-Tegel, Boston, Bremen, Cologne-Bonn, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Houston, Leipzig, London-Heathrow, Milan-Malpensa, Munich, New York-JFK, Nürnberg, Stuttgart
	First Class Lounge	Frankfurt (First Class Terminal and First Class Lounge), Munich
Malaysia Airlines	Golden Lounge	Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Narita, New York, Penang, Singapore, Sydney
Mexicana Airlines	Salon Ejecutivo	Buenos Aires, Cancún, Chicago-O’Hare, Guadalajara, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Monterrey, Portland, San Antonio, Tijuana, Toronto, Vancouver
Middle East Airlines	The Cedar Lounge	Beirut
Midwest Airlines	Best Care Club	Milwaukee
Northwest Airlines	Worldclubs	Boston, Chicago-O’Hare, Detroit (4), Honolulu, Los Angeles, Manila, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul (2), Newark, New York-LaGuardia, Portland (OR), San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Seoul-Incheon, Tokyo-Narita, Washington-Dulles, Washington-Reagan
Philippine Airlines	Mabuhay Lounge	Cebu (Mactan), Davao, General Santos, Iloilo, Los Angeles, Manila, San Francisco, Bacolod,
Qantas Airlines	Qantas Club	Adelaide, Alice Springs, Auckland, Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Broome, Cairns, Canberra, Christchurch, Darwin, Gold Coast, Hobart, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Launceston, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Mackay, Melbourne (Tullamarine), Perth, Rockhampton, Singapore, Sydney, Townsville, Wellington
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)	Business Lounge	Brussels, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Helsinki, London-Heathrow, Newark, Oslo, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Seattle, Stockholm
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)	Scandinavian Lounge (First Class &Star Alliance Gold)	Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm
Singapore Airlines	Silver Kris Lounge	Adelaide, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Osaka Kansai, Penang, Perth, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo-Narita
South African Airways	Baobab Lounge	Cape Town, Johannesburg, London
South African Airways	Cycad Premium Lounge	Cape Town, Johannesburg, London
TAP Portugal	Top Executive	Funchal, Lisbon, Oporto
Thai International Airways	Royal Orchid Lounge	Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi), Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Dhaka, Hat Yai, Hong Kong, Kathmandu, Khon Kaen, Khula Lumpur, Manila, Osaka Kansai, Phittsanulok, Phuket, Singapore, Surat Thani, Taipei, Ubon Ratchathani, Yangon
United Airlines	Red Carpet Club	Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Bangkok, Boston, Buenos Aires, Chicago-O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Honolulu, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Mexico City, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Newark, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Orange County, Orlando, Osaka, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland OR, San Diego, San Francisco, São Paulo, Seattle/Tacoma, Sydney, Tokyo-Narita, Washington-Dulles, Washington-Reagan
US Airways	US Airways Club	Baltimore/Washington, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Greensboro, Hartford/Springfield, Las Vegas, London-Gatwick, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Raleigh/Durham, Tampa, Washington-Reagan
Virgin Atlantic Airways	Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse	Hong Kong, Johannesburg, London-Gatwick, London-Heathrow, Newark, New York-JFK, San Francisco, Tokyo, Washington-Dulles
Virgin Blue	The Lounge	Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney

Sites that I found useful:

1) http://www.flyerguide.net/

2) http://www.loungeguide.net/wiki/u/Main_Page

3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_lounge#Access_to_lounges

ELAL Israel Airlines have decided to change its “goodies” policy - the use of frequent flyer points for upgrade to premium classes Business & First.

Just last week, ELAL has switched a GDS - Global Distribution System, or what is also known as a CRS - Computer Reservation System - system used to store, retrieve information and conduct transactions related to air travel.

The previous system, Carmel was owned by ELAL and the features were tailor made specifically for its needs. Now that they have shifted to Amadeus they have taken the opportunity to deteriorate the benefits of their club members use of points. A non-official quote by a highly ranked employee commented; “It was easy to hide behind the mask of; it’s a new booking system with no technical abilities to perform upgrades like we used to, moreover, we are only aligning our policies to other leading airlines such as: Continental Airlines, Lufthansa, United Airlines & Air Canada.”

ELAL Frequent traveler will be affected, travel agents will have to work harder, but at the end of the day; “users will get used to it, and we will make more money on each ticket sold…”

Example; an upgradable round trip ticket from Tel Aviv to New York costs:

Ticket (S class) $2544 + Add 700 points each direction (1point = $1) = 3944

Whereas, on the same class of booking (D class) the cheapest business class round trip costs: $4900. (For those who don’t know; S class is coach, D is business class)

That’s a $1000 profit per ticket - so why not?