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In This Issue
Airlines Hope Cheap Fares Can Save Them
New Frequent Flier Promotions=
AA Flying To Six New Cities
Travel News Briefs
Before You Go
Vacation Specials
Meeting & Event Planning Services=
Travel Alerts and Travel Warnings=
&nbs=
p;
APRIL VACATION
SPECIALS
Cruise Lines and Tour Operato=
rs are
offering great values that are too good to believe.
Contact our leisure department
for new weekly promotions:
Rennert Travel
210-524-3300
CTP EVENT PLANNERS
Planning
an Event or Corporate Meeting?
Jump start the new year for 2009 Meetings and Events by
contacting one of our CTP EVENT PLANNERS!
"We Make You Look Good!" is the CTP Event Planners mantra. We
attend to every last bit of minutia so that you can relax as the perfect
event comes to life. Our clients and their guests never suspect the amoun=
t of
work Event Planners invest in their events - a fact that you are sure to
appreciate, and that we know is the truest sign of our success.
TRAVEL SMARTS
Register with the Embassy or Consulates=
Registration with t=
he
U.S. Embassy or Consulate (in the country you are visiting) makes your
presence and whereabouts known, in case it is necessary for a consular
officer to contact you in an emergency. During a disaster overseas, Ameri=
can
consular officers can assist in evacuation were that to become necessary,=
but
they cannot assist you if they do not know where you are. You can r=
egister
with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State
Department’s
travel registration web
site.
TRAVEL QUICK LINKS =
Bureau Consular Affairs – www.travel.state.gov/inde=
x.html
Health Information – www.mdtravelhealth.com=
FAA – www.faa.gov
Traffic Conditions – www.traffic.com
Weather – www.weather.com
Currency Conversion – www.oanda.com/convert/class=
ic
Time Conversion – www.worldtimeserve.com=
Current=
Airport Status – www.fly.faa.gov<=
/a>
TRAVEL =
WARNINGS
Travel
Warnings are issued to describe long-term,
protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable. A Travel
Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist Ameri=
can
citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or
because of a drawdown of its staff.
For list of countries please visit:<=
o:p>
www.travel.state.gov/inde=
x.html=
Current Travel Warn=
ings =
=
Yemen
03/26/2009
Colombia
03/25/2009
Madagascar
03/17/2009
Sudan
03/09/2009
Saudi
Arabia 03/04/2009
Algeria
03/04/2009
Pakistan
02/25/2009
Eritrea
02/18/2009
Syria
02/12/2009
Congo,
Democratic Republic of the 02/05/2009
Haiti
01/28/2009
Philippines
01/27/2009
Israel,
the West Bank and Gaza 01/15/2009
Burundi
01/08/2009
Sri
Lanka 12/22/2008
Cote
d'Ivoire 12/15/2008
Georgia
12/12/2008
Zimbabwe
12/12/2008
Nigeria
12/02/2008
Nepal
11/21/2008
Somalia
11/15/2008
Chad
11/14/2008
Kenya
11/14/2008
Iran
09/15/2008
Lebanon
09/10/2008
Afghanistan
09/10/2008
Uzbekistan
07/03/2008
Iraq
06/13/2008
Central
African Republic 03/25/2008 =
TRAVEL =
ALERTS
Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate informati=
on
about short-term conditions, generally within a particular country, that =
pose
imminent risks to the security of U.S. citizens. Natural disa=
sters,
terrorist attacks, coups, anniversaries of terrorist events, election-rel=
ated
demonstrations or violence, and high-profile events such as international
conferences or regional sports events are examples of conditions that mig=
ht generate
a Travel Alerto disseminate information about short-term conditions,
generally within a particular country, that pose imminent risks to the
security of U.S. citizens. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, coups,
anniversaries of terrorist events, election-related demonstrations or
violence, and high-profile events such as international conferences or
regional sports events are examples of conditions that might generate a
Travel Alert.
C=
urrent
Travel Alerts:
=
Comoros
03/16/2009
Bangladesh
03/02/2009
Mexico
02/20/2009
Arabian
Peninsula and Persian Gulf 02/11/2009
Mali
01/07/2009
South
Pacific Cyclone Season 12/10/2008 08/12/2008/2008
CONTACT CTP
Phone:
(210) 366-9565
(800) 523-9036
Fax: (210) 366-5052
Vi=
sit our Website:
http://www.ctptravelservices.c=
om
|
<=
/span>
AIRLINES HOPE CHEAP FARES CAN S=
AVE
THEM
![](3D"April_2009_files/image006.jpg") If you’ve been looking=
for
that bargain-basement airfare, this may be your time to book. The Houston Chronicle=
says the nation’s deepening financial crisis recession has airlines=
“drastically
cutting some fares to fill empty seats. How long they will last is anyone=
’s
guess, but fare-watchers are marveling at the steep declines.”
=
Bob
Harrell of Harrell Associates, a group that tracks fares, tells the <=
span
style=3D'font-family:Arial'>Chronicle that domestic leisure f=
ares
have dropped about 14% year-over-year. Headed overseas? The Chronicle says “ticket pric=
es to
European mainstays London, Paris
and Rome are
down about 35% from peak levels.” The Chicago Tribune comes up with a simil=
ar
find, writing: “Desperate to sell seats on increasingly empty
jetliners, airlines are slashing airfares to prime overseas destinations =
in
Europe and Austral=
ia.”
=
The drop
in fares come as airlines try to balance keeping planes full while not
letting the bottom fall out of fare levels. Reuters writes “monthly
reports on airline operations released this (past) week showed sharp decl=
ines
in traffic as carriers slashed capacity. Most troubling for the airlines,
however, was the shrinking load factors, which measure how full a plane i=
s.
American Airlines, for example, said its load factor was 73.9%, down 2.9
percentage points from February 2008. Continental Airlines reported a load
factor of 72.9%, a decline of 3.1 percentage points from a year ago.̶=
1;
=
With
that, Reuters says “U.S.
airlines are looking hungrily at the summer vacation travel season for a =
bump
in their leisure bookings.” Some airline executives say a drop in
corporate travel is behind the current slump, leading to hope that
vacationing Americans can help blunt the slowdown. “What we see ...
right now is that the softness is mostly in business, as opposed to leisu=
re,”
US Airways CEO Doug Park told Reuters last week. “You stimulate lei=
sure
somewhat with lower fares.”
=
Still,
the dropping fares come even though airlines have already made big capaci=
ty
cuts during the past year. But even that apparently has not kept pace with
the current decline in demand. Experts say that means airline could prune
schedules even further, though that’s probably unlikely until after=
the
peak summer travel period passes. “Come late summer or fall, they a=
re
going to have to cut another 5 or 10% out of the system to force prices u=
p,”
fare-watcher Parsons tells the Chro=
nicle.
Aviation consultant Mike Boyd struck the same chord, telling the Chronicle he thinks more cuts =
220;are
going to be in the works.” He predicts once those cuts go through,
fares will stabilize—and could even head back up.=
=
If
things don’t improve in the foreseeable future, the Los Angeles Times writes “a
prolonged downturn could ground weaker carriers and leave travelers with
fewer choices and eventually a return to higher fares, analysts and indus=
try
officials said.” Giovanni Bisignani, CEO of the International Air
Transport Association trade group, says: “The industry is in a glob=
al
crisis, and we have not yet seen the bottom. Alarm bells are ringing
everywhere.” For now, though, the airline industry’s problems=
likely
mean bargain airfares for many consumers.
<=
/span>
AIRLINES OFFER NEW
FREQUENT-FLIER PROMOTIONS
New promotions from three airlines a=
llow
frequent fliers to earn double miles toward elite status. Benefits can add
up, with free baggage allowance for you and your traveling companions free
space-available upgrades, and priority check-in and boarding. Plus, you c=
an
reserve choice seats in the front of coach, in the exit rows and on the
aisles.
With these promotions, travelers can=
earn
double the miles they actually fly toward elite status when they travel on
paid flights this spring. You won’t earn double frequent-flier mile=
s;
you’ll only accrue miles toward elite status faster.
Fly through June 15 to earn double
elite-qualifying miles. The offers are valid for tickets purchased beginn=
ing
March 18 on American, for travel on American, American Eagle or
AmericanConnection; March 19 on United, for travel on United or United
Express; and March 20 on Continental, for travel on Continental, Continen=
tal
Express, Continental Connection or Continental Micronesia. You must regis=
ter
for these promotions before traveling. To do so, access www.aa.com/aadvantage, www.continental.com/onepass or www.united.com/eqmoffer.
To qualify for the first tier of eli=
te
status, you need to earn 25,000 miles, so you’ll only have to fly
12,500 miles during the promotional period. The first tier of elite statu=
s is
Gold on American, Silver on Continental and Premier on United.
One round-trip flight to Australia from anywhere in the continent=
al U.S.
would earn you enough for elite status. Travel to S=
ydney
has been cheap this year, with recent flights from =
Dallas
for $927 round trip and flights from Los Angeles
and San Francisco=
for $679 round trip.
We’ve been seeing $500 round-t=
rip
flights from Dallas to Europe,
which would get you close to the number of miles you need to earn elite
status. For example, flights from Dallas=
to Frankfurt would earn 10,214 miles. If you combine=
that
with a domestic round trip, it should be easy to qualify.
Passengers with elite status who tra=
vel
two or more times a year can really save on baggage fees, especially if t=
hey’re
traveling with friends or family on the same record.
Once you earn elite status, you will=
have
it for the remainder of 2009 and throughout 2010. On American and
Continental, you probably will have it through February 2011, because the=
ir
elite-program years typically run from March through February.
If you fly short-haul flights, elite
travelers can earn a 500-mile minimum, instead of actual miles flown.
On all three carriers, you’ll =
earn a
25 percent bonus on actual miles flown if you qualify for the first tier =
of
elite status and 100 percent bonuses for the higher tiers of elite status=
.
Keep an eye on these offers to see i=
f they
become more competitive. US
Airways has a double-elite-miles offer that ends March 31, but that may be
extended to match these offers. At press time, Delta and Northwest weren&=
#8217;t
matching, but they may. They don’t want to lose business travelers =
to
other airlines.
AA TO FL=
Y TO
SIX NEW CITIES FROM D/FW
American
Airlines is launching nonstop service to six new cities from Dallas/Fort
Worth Airport, bucking a trend as the airline industry contracts nationwi=
de.
All of the new cities will be served on small regional jets operated by
American Eagle, the airline's regional subsidiary.
The new=
cities
are Santa Fe, N.M=
.;
Tallahassee, Fla.=
;
Montgomery, Ala.<=
/st1:State>;
Brownsville, Texa=
s;
Lake Charles, La.=
;
and Manhattan, Kan. The flights will begin in June =
11,
except for Manhattan, Kan., which launches on Aug. 25.
"Connecting Dallas/Fort Worth to small and medium-sized cities is on=
e of
Eagle's key missions," said Peter Bowler, Eagle's chief executive. <=
o:p>
Most ma=
jor
airlines, including American, have been reducing their schedules and cutt=
ing
flights as the turgid economy slows demand for travel. But the new Eagle
flights will pump more passengers into American's hub at D/FW, making it
easier for the airline to fill flights to large cities like New
York and Los An=
geles,
as well as international destinations.
<=
/span>
TRAVEL NEWS =
BRIEFS
Eurocontrol goes live with GPS-based air traffic contro=
l
A portion of Europe's air traffic control system was switched =
from radio
beacons to Global Positioning Systems on Monday, a move designed to reduce
delays, increase safety and cut some $5 billion in airline fuel costs. The
new system initially will be used only in Maastrich=
t,
the Netherlands, Eur=
ope's
second-busiest control center after London.
&=
nbsp;
Budget airlines consider charges for extra services=
Southwest, JetBl=
ue,
AirTran and other low-cost carriers are seeking ways to boost revenue and
considering charging for in-flight food, onboard Wi-Fi and other services=
and
products. Arne Haak, chief financial officer of AirTran, estimated that
baggage fees and other ancillary revenue will amount to $300 million for =
the
airline this year.
&=
nbsp;
Northwest moving terminals for proximity to Delta
As it consolidat=
es its
post-merger operations with Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines will move
terminals in Boston and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.,
by the end of the month. Northwest will move to Terminal A at Boston Logan
and Terminal 2 at RDU.
&=
nbsp;
Continental plans alliance shift in October<=
/b>
Continental Airl=
ines
plans to drop out of the SkyTeam alliance on Oct. 24, and "We'd very
much like to be 'wheels up' [with Star alliance] the next morning,"
according to Continental President Jeff Smisek. The switch will mark the
first time a major airline has defected from one of the three global
alliances.
&=
nbsp;
Fliers to face more random screening at the gate
TSA personnel ha=
ve begun
a stepped-up program of random screening at airport gates, after passenge=
rs
have already cleared metal detectors and X-ray machines. "It serves =
as a
random, unpredictable layer" of security, says a TSA spokesman, addi=
ng
that the checks are not tied to any specific threat. Though some passenge=
rs
are grumbling about the added inconvenience, "Security is our No. 1
priority," the TSA says.
American
dropping Love Field service, for now &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p;
American Airlines is suspending its service at Dallas Love Field
airport, but vowed to return in the future. American offers just one
destination from Love - a flight to Chicago
operated by American Eagle, the carrier's regional affiliate. That service
will end on June 11, airline officials said.
After good first year, industry looks to Phase Two of O=
pen
Skies
Experts say the
year-old Open Skies agreement that liberalized flying between the U.S. and
Europe has proven to be a boon to both consumers and airline companies.
Carriers have been able to cut costs, while passengers have seen prices d=
rop
on trans-Atlantic routes. "There's no question that Open Skies has
benefited consumers via new market entry, and the antitrust-immune
partnerships have inaugurated nonstop services that no single carrier wou=
ld
risk," says industry consultant Robert Mann. In Phase Two discussion=
s,
Europe is pressing for an easing of foreign ownership rules as well as the
right to operate U=
.S.
routes as an extension of international service.
<=
/span>
As Redoubt rumbles, Alaska Airlines cancellations top 2=
00
Continuing erupt=
ions
of the Mount Redoubt volcano forced the closure of Ted Stevens
Anchorage International
Airport over the
weekend, as workers scrambled to clean up a dusting of ash that could pos=
e a
danger to jet engines. Alaska Airlines has canceled 215 flights since the
eruptions began on March 22. An airline spokesman said no standby passeng=
ers
could be accommodated until April 1, at the earliest, due to the large nu=
mber
of cancellations and the rush of spring break travelers.
&=
nbsp;
TSA steps up screening program at airport gates
The Transportati=
on
Security Administration is concerned that terrorists may be trying to smu=
ggle
weapons on planes by sneaking components through airport checkpoints and
later assembling them to bring on an airplane. Partially in response to t=
he
threat, the TSA has stepped up a screening effort that involves randomly
choosing passengers at airport gates, viewing their IDs, checking them for
weapons and searching their possessions.
<=
/span>
BEFORE YOU GO=
U.S.=
citizens living or traveling abroad are encou=
raged
to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the S=
tate
Department’s travel registration web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/
so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security.
Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest =
U.S.
Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it eas=
ier
for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. <=
/o:p>
U.S.=
citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain =
a high
level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take the appropriate st=
eps
to bolster their personal security. For additional information, ple=
ase
refer to “A Safe Trip Abroad” found at http://travel.s=
tate.gov.
U.S. Government fa=
cilities
worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert. These facilities m=
ay
temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their
security posture. In those instances, U.S.
embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency serv=
ices
to U.S.
citizens. Americans abroad are urged to monitor the local news and
maintain contact with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. <=
/span>
As the Department
continues to develop information on any potential security threats to U.S.
citizens overseas, it shares credible threat information through its Cons=
ular
Information Program documents, available on the Internet at http://travel.s=
tate.gov.
In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-da=
te
information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in=
the
United States and Canada or, outside the United States and Canada on a regular toll li=
ne at
1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Friday, Eastern Time (excep=
t U.S.
federal holidays.)
<=
/span>
&=
nbsp;
<=
/span>
&=
nbsp;
&=
nbsp;
&=
nbsp;
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