Travel Updates

Read some news snippets – The US Travel updates

Holiday travelers (Thanksgiving) to see fewer flights
Airlines will offer almost 3,000 fewer domestic flights a day during the Thanksgiving season, promising fewer choices, fuller planes and higher fares for millions of Americans.

Compared with last Thanksgiving season, there will be 11% fewer flights — 2.6 million fewer seats — on non-stop domestic routes from Nov. 20, the Thursday before Thanksgiving, through Nov. 30, the Sunday afterward.

Hundreds of those routes have lost a quarter or more of the flights they had last Thanksgiving, according to a USA TODAY analysis of flight schedules that airlines filed with OAG-Official Airline Guide. OAG provides trip planning and booking tools for travelers.

Cost cuts airlines made to cover high fuel prices eliminated many routes and flights after Labor Day. Scarce seats got pricier.

The busy Thanksgiving season will be many travelers’ first encounter with the slimmed-down schedules. The effect of fewer flights and full planes will make it harder for fliers to recover from delays, missed connections and canceled flights.

On Thanksgiving Day, the cutbacks are startling. US Airways (LCC) won’t operate 40% of the flights it flew Thanksgiving Day last year. Delta Air Lines (DAL) cut 26% of Thanksgiving Day flights, and United Airlines (UAUA) cut 22%.

“Most of that’s coming out in the afternoon, when people are eating turkey,” US Airways spokesman Jim Olson says.

On many routes that lost a chunk of service, one or more carriers stopped flying between those cities because the service is no longer profitable.

By Thanksgiving, American (AMR) and Delta both will have halted non-stop flights between Charlotte and New York LaGuardia airport, for example. There will be 45% fewer non-stop flights than last season.

Another non-stop route where travelers could have a tough time is between Dallas’ Love Field and Kansas City. It has lost nearly half the flights it had last Thanksgiving. American and discounter Southwest Airlines (LUV) served it last year. American stopped.

Passengers wanting to fly between Chicago O’Hare and Spokane, Wash., for Thanksgiving can’t do it non-stop anymore. United Airlines, which now operates one flight daily each way, will stop on Nov. 2. Travelers will have to connect.

In fact, 84% of U.S. airports that had non-stop service during the Thanksgiving season last year to Chicago O’Hare — one of the USA’s busiest airports — will have fewer flights this holiday.

Bence Boelcskevy gave up trying to book a convenient and affordable flight from Columbus, Ohio, to Reagan Washington airport to visit family.

“The airlines have taken away a lot of flights,” he says. “I found flights were disappearing.”

Delta, which used to fly that route non-stop along with US Airways, stopped earlier this year.

So the 64-year-old widower is staying in Columbus to deliver turkey dinners to poor families and shut-ins.

JetBlue Airways (JBLU) is bucking the downsizing trend this holiday. It will operate 3% more flights.

Meanwhile, Southwest will add 15 extra flights Nov. 29-30, such as Dallas to Lubbock, Texas, to meet demand.

By USA TODAY

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Airlines Drastically Cut Number of Flights; Thanksgiving Travel by Car Saves Money, Headaches
BETHESDA, Md., Oct 21, 2008 – With gas prices dropping and airlines making drastic cuts to the number of flights they will offer over the Thanksgiving holiday, the Car Care Council suggests that driving may not only save you money, but will also save you from plenty of travel headaches.

According to USA Today, “airlines will offer almost 3,000 fewer domestic flights a day during the Thanksgiving season, promising fewer choices, fuller planes and higher fares for millions of Americans. Compared with last Thanksgiving season, there will be 11% fewer flights – 2.6 million fewer seats – on non-stop domestic routes from Nov. 20, the Thursday before Thanksgiving, through Nov. 30, the Sunday afterward.”

“It is going to be very stressful to fly this holiday season. Fewer flights and full planes mean more delays, missed connections and canceled flights. That doesn’t paint a pretty picture for those thinking about flying,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “Driving is simply more convenient and less hectic than flying, and with improved gas prices, the cost of driving is a much better deal. The cost for a family of four traveling by car is about the same as one person traveling by air.”

By PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX

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Travel Vacations – Paris

What can be seen in Paris:
The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, a walk along the Champs-Elysées

Let’s explore Paris a bit more…

Paris – Theme Parks
Parc Astérix: Discover wild thrills, fun for all the family, and breath-taking live shows at Parc Astérix. This most gaulish of theme parks offers more than 60 open-air attractions and fantastic adventures.

Paris – Arts and Culture
Guided Visit of the Musée d’Orsay: Sidestep the entrance queue at the Musée d’Orsay and enjoy a guided visit of Monet, Van Gogh, and Renoir masterpieces.

Giverny and Monet’s Home: An afternoon excursion to Giverny is perfect for art lovers. Visit the house of the master of Impressionism, Claude Monet, and stroll around the spectacular gardens that inspired some of his artwork.

Paris – Events and Shows
The Lion King: Against a scorched Serengeti landscape, the lion cub Simba battles against his heinous uncle Scar to claim his right to the throne. Bringing Disney’s legendary imagination to the stage, The Lion King recounts the eternal circle of life—growing up amid fear, love, and mourning to find your place in the world.

Paradis Latin Cabaret Show: The Paradis Latin, built by Gustave Eiffel, is a national landmark and the most Parisian of the great cabarets. Enjoy a true night out in Paris as you take in an original show at this renowned institution.

Paris Illuminations Tour and Féerie at the Moulin Rouge: Tour Paris’ illuminated boulevards and monuments before going cancan crazy at the legendary Moulin Rouge. Féerie promises glitz, glamour, and high kicks galore!

Paris – Tours and Sightseeing
Unforgettable Paris Tour with Lunch at the Eiffel Tower: Treasure your time in Paris with a bus tour and river cruise past all the major landmarks. Linger over lunch on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower and take in views over the city.

Full-Day Paris Experience with Lunch at the Eiffel Tower: Tour the Louvre’s main rooms before zipping along the River Seine on a speedy river shuttle to the Eiffel Tower for lunch.

Paris Hop-on, Hop-off Les Cars Rouges Bus Tour: Explore the City of Lights at your own pace with a two-day bus tour pass. Hop-on and off as many times as you like at the nine sightseeing bus stops and enjoy the on-board guided commentary, which is available in eight languages.

Palace of Versailles Tour: Soak up French culture and history with a guided tour of the 17th-century Palace of Versailles, a World Heritage Site. Don’t miss the exquisite manicured gardens, considered as works of art themselves.

A Panoramic Tour of Paris with Eiffel Tower Visit: Take in the city sights with a coach tour and a River Seine cruise before capturing the sweeping panorama from the most famous of Parisian landmarks, the Eiffel Tower.

A Visit to Mont Saint Michel, a World Heritage Site: Coastal mists shroud the Mont Saint Michel in mysticism and legend. Explore the islet and discover why this ancient site is called the “Marvel of the Occident”. A light brunch in a 14th-century castle is optional.

Guided Visit of Three Loire Valley Castles: Step back in time to the splendour of the Renaissance era. Explore the grounds of three castles and unearth the history of the famous “Garden of France”. A three-course lunch is included.

Off the Beaten Track by 2CV: Revel in the cachet of exploring the city’s hidden haunts—in a chauffeur-driven 2CV. Begin at elegant Place Vendôme, home to the Ritz, and take in the dazzling Metro entrance at nearby Kiosque des Noctambules. Marvel at another modern fantasy, the fountains at Place Stravinsky, before discovering Paris’ other secrets.

Paris – Culinary Experiences
French Wine-Tasting: Wine, Two, Three and The Grand 7: Two different tastings offer you the chance to sample a range of French wine, produced by small vineyards. In a convivial atmosphere, your trained sommelier leads you from light whites to robust reds. If your tummy tightens at the thought of picking a Bourgogne from a Bordeaux, just sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Gourmet Experience at Granterroirs: Fuse Paris’ enduring love affair with fine food and the French finesse for shopping and you have Granterroirs, a gourmet foodstore and restaurant designed to unleash your epicurean spirit. Focusing on textures and flavours of regional specialities, Granterroirs maps out a gourmet road-trip of France.

Musée du Vin with Wine Tasting: The Musée du Vin tells the rich tale of France’s love affair with wine. Peruse a range of tools and memorabilia before venturing into the 15th-century cellars for some expert guidance in the art of wine tasting.

Paris – Water Activities and Cruises
Sightseeing Cruise along the River Seine: Enjoy a romantic moment, brush up on your French, or just take in the scenery: A cruise on the river Seine is always memorable. A selection of music will accompany your cruise as you spot popular landmarks and discover the history of the city. The banks of the River Seine are a World Heritage Site

Lunch Cruise along the River Seine: Linger over a lunch and savour the romantic backdrop of the Paris skyline as you gently cruise along the River Seine. Relax to soothing sounds of a live musician as the cruise reveals the city’s stunning landmarks at every turn.

Dinner at the Eiffel Tower and a Seine River Cruise: Hover above Paris as you dine on a three-course dinner in the bustling first-floor restaurant of the Eiffel Tower. Then board a boat and cruise under the Seine’s illuminated bridges.

Paris – Ground Transportation
Shuttle Service from Central Paris to Charles de Gaulle Airport: Enjoy a door-to-door shared shuttle service and travel in comfort from central Paris to Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Shuttle Service from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Central Paris: Enjoy a door-to-door shared shuttle service and travel in comfort from Charles de Gaulle Airport to central Paris.

source: Expedia.com

Travel vacation – London

What are the must-see sights in London:
Buckingham Palace, the Thames, the Changing of the Guard.

Let’s explore it a bit more further…

London: Arts and Culture

Kensington Palace: Peep behind the curtains of royal life at Kensington Palace, long-time home of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Tower of London: Get an insight into 1,000 years of British history when you visit Britain’s most popular attraction–the Tower of London.

Hampton Court Palace: Enjoy a great day out at Hampton Court Palace and its magnificent surrounding gardens – just make sure not to get lost in the famous hedge maze!

The London Bridge Experience: Roman merchants, Viking invaders, and London commuters have all crossed London Bridge. Plunge into the vaults to meet some of the characters who make up its fascinating 2000 year history, and descend deeper to examine the spooky London Tombs.

The Charles Dickens Museum: Explore a landmark address in British literary history. See where Oliver, Fagin, Bill Sikes, and Nancy were conjured up to life at the home of Charles Dickens.

London – Theme Parks

Chessington World of Adventures: Tales of family fun never end here. Explore Beanoland and Toytown and experience ten brand-new attractions, plus the scorching new roller-coaster, Dragon’s Fury!

London Zoo: Come face to face with some of the hairiest, scariest, tallest, and smallest animals on the planet with the ultimate back-to-nature experience.

Thorpe Park: Savour the white-hot thrills of Nemesis Inferno–one of the world’s most intense, disorientating, exhilarating rollercoasters, complete with volcanic theming and effects! The gut-wrenching, leg-dangling experience gives a new meaning to “hot footing it!”

Whipsnade Wild Animal Park: Capture the animal magic of lions, tigers, hippos, elephants, and rhinos as they roam around Whipsnade Wild Animal Park.

London – Tours and Sightseeing
Britain’s Essential Monuments: Relive thousands of years of British history in a single day. Take in some of London’s most famous sights, including the Tower of London, and touch the 5,000 year-old stones of Stonehenge at sunset. Your day-long tour ends with a guided tour of the city of Bath.

The Complete London Experience: Capture the essence of London! Visit Covent Garden, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Crown Jewels, watch the Changing of the Guard, and explore the City’s ancient and medieval landmarks. Finally, cruise along the Thames and reach for the skies with a flight on the London Eye.

Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bath: Visit ancient ruins, Roman baths, and a royal palace for a glimpse into millennia of British history. Bath and Stonehenge are classified as World Heritage Sites.

Warwick Castle, Stratford, and Oxford: Experience the magic of Oxford with an exclusive tour of Christ Church college and a champagne reception in its Great Hall, featured in the Harry Potter films. Discover another literary great when you visit Shakespeare’s birthplace Stratford. Enjoy a taste of medieval Britain at Warwick Castle and lunch in the Cotswolds.

Trip to Edinburgh: Soak up the beauty of Edinburgh as you independently explore the city at your own pace. With train tickets and admission to Edinburgh Castle and an open-top bus tour all organised for you, you’ll have more time to take in the sights and admire the Scottish Crown Jewels.

Royal London: Enjoy a unique insight into royal history. Visit the Crown Jewels accompanied by a Yeoman Warder and revel in royal pomp and splendour at the Changing of the Guard ceremony.

The City, the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral & River Cruise: Experience the best of London! Cruise the River Thames and view the Crown Jewels in the infamous Tower of London. Complete your day with a tour of the City and entry to St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Oxford, Stratford, and the Cotswolds: Begin your day with a tour of Oxford University in the “City of Dreaming Spires”. Then absorb England’s most scenic vistas as you drive through the rolling Cotswold hills to Stratford-upon-Avon to visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.

Beatles Tour of Liverpool: Take a trip down memory lane as you tour the Beatles’ home town, Liverpool, on this unguided tour. Your train tickets and admission to the Beatles Story and the Magical Mystery tour are organised for you, leaving you more time to follow the a Beatles-inspired itinerary.

Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour of London: Explore one of the world’s most vibrant cities on an open-topped double-decker bus. Six different routes and a total of 80 stops guarantee hassle-free sightseeing. Plus, enjoy a free river cruise on the Thames and walking tours in central London.

London – Water Activities and Cruises
River Thames Lunch Cruise: View London from a different perspective with this perfect lunch-time treat. Cruise along the River Thames as you contemplate stunning views and savour a gourmet three-course lunch.

Classic Dinner Cruise: Enjoy breathtaking views, live entertainment, and a four-course meal as you cruise along the River Thames.

River Red Rover Hop-On, Hop-Off Pass: This one-day hop-on, hop-off river pass allows you to benefit from the regular service that runs between London’s most popular destination piers. Popular stops include Westminster (Big Ben), Waterloo (The London Eye), Tower (Tower of London), and Greenwich (Maritime Museum).

The London Duck Tour: Embark on London’s only land and water vehicle—the Duck—and experience the city from a truly unique perspective. Take to the streets and view Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, and Hyde Park Corner before your Duck makes a dramatic “splashdown” into the River Thames for the waterborne leg of your tour.

London – Air and Land Adventures
London Bicycle Tours: Four wheels bad, two wheels good! Find your bearings in London on an environmentally friendly cycling tour which takes in both major sights and back streets. You can choose between three different routes – stay central, head east, or go west.

London – Culinary Experiences
The Medieval Banquet: Enjoy a regal banquet lit by flickering torches and an array of live entertainment. Venture into the vaulted cellars of Ivory House, just a stone’s throw from the historic Tower of London and Tower Bridge.

London Showboat Dinner Cruise: Feast on a lavish four-course dinner with wine as you drift along the River Thames. Dance under the stars aboard the London Showboat and take in the illuminated skyline from the observation deck.

Find more information here Travel Vacations

Travel Vacations Package – Europe

Explore Europe with us!

So when should we go for a Travel Vacation in Europe:
Well, spring and fall offer ideal weather and reasonable flight and hotel deals. Summer can have higher rates and more crowds; Europeans traditionally take vacation in August.

Basically, you should visit Europe in the spring for warm days and cool nights. As summer brings longer days and lovely weather, but can be busy; August is when locals escape for their annual holiday. Fall in Europe brings the changing colors and fewer crowds. Winter is best for avid skiers and bargain hunters.

Europe Peak Season:
Most visitors from the U.S. explore Europe in the spring and summer months. Early fall tends to be busy in popular convention areas, and rates can be higher during this time.

Europe Value Season:
Winter and early spring see fewer travelers, and can be a great time to visit if you’re looking for discounted flights and hotel rates

Few information tips are that while the euro is used in most countries, it is not used in the UK or Scandinavia, so you have to take convert the currency there. Also some religious sites have strict dress codes. Bring a sweater and close-toed shoes to be on a safer side.

As being a traveler we don’t want to hurt someone’s on the basis of religion by doing something stupid.

Business Travel sales goes up by 36%

American Express Business Travel has reported a strong mid-year sales up by 33% in Asia Pacific and 36% year over year increase in sales as on June 2008.

In contribution to the growth of the organization the companies that have recently signed a new agreement or companies with the extended agreements with American Express Business Travel across Asia Pacific have increased.Few companies included in it are: Australia Post in Australia, Invensys in India, Emerson and Symantec in Singapore and Kraft China.

Libby Roy, GM and VP American Express Business Travel, Japan, Asia Pacific and Australia commented on the news: “As a leading travel management company, our focus is to help companies optimize their travel spending – regardless of economic conditions. We are pleased that in today’s environment, businesses from across industry sectors and geographies are turning to us to provide the technology, expert insight and customer service they need to generate cost savings and maximize their business travel investment”.

Expecting the growth trend to continue as companies look to drive further cost savings into their travel programs the company has recently appointed Jonas Borglin to the position of director, business development, Advisory Services, Japan, Asia Pacific and Australia.

Libby Roy said that many customers we work with have focused on how to travel smarter and implement strategies to drive savings so they can keep travelers on the road. It is in this type of environment that our Advisory Services offering becomes an even more valuable resource for our customers to take advantage of.

“Quantifiable savings can be achieved on air, hotel and meetings spend through in-depth analysis of our extensive travel data repository, benchmarking, and the specialist vendor negotiation we undertake on behalf of customers.”

“We have had an online booking tool in Singapore since 2003 and there is strong demand from our customers in that market for an enhanced offering. To date the industry infrastructure hasn’t supported a fully online self service booking tool which is why we have created our own to give our customers access to the most relevant and accurate online content available. We expect this enhancement to double our online usage rates by the end of 2009.”

“In more mature markets such as Australia the majority of domestic bookings are now made online. Later on in the year we will be launching an enhanced online booking tool in India.”

Travel

What is Travel?

Travel is the change in location of people on a trip, or the process of time involved in a person or object moving from one location to another.

We do it for several reasons and the top 5 known reasons for travel are as below:

1. Recreation – Tourism—travel for recreation, this may apply to the travel itself or the travel may just be the necessary investment to arrive at a desired location to explore

2. Getting connected – Visiting friends and family. Attending functions, occasions, surprises and so on

3. Trade - An exchange of goods, services, or both. Trade is also called as commerce. A mechanism that allows trade is called a market. Trade exists for many reasons. Due to specialization and division of labor, most people concentrate on a small aspect of production, trading for other products.

4. Commuting - Traveling between one’s place of residence and regular place of work. For e.g. Students who are enrolled at a college or university but who live off-campus are also typically referred to as commuters.

If you think that you can add on some more reasons do let all of us know.