Airline Delays

There is a lot of discussion on travel agent sites about all the problems with the airlines. This is because there are more travelers and less scheduled flights. In addition, the traffic control system is over stressed as well and the airlines are recording record levels of flight delays. In fact, since the government began collecting data about flights, this year’s numbers are the worst. Only 72.5% of flights have been on time up through April. Lost baggage complaints are also up. To avoid these problems as much as possible, travel early in the day and Tuesdays and Saturdays tend to have fewer delayed flights. Also, some airlines are more punctual than others. AirTran, JetBlue, Continental, US Airways, and Delta have the highest incidence of delays. SkyWest, Mesa, Hawaiian, Southwest, and Frontier have the least.

Passports

The changing passport requirements coming from the State Department continue to consume a lot of energy in our business. We still receive many calls from travelers confused about the requirements, but we see that it isn’t going to get less confusing going forward. The original goal of the change was to phase into requiring passports for all travelers coming into the US. This was to improve border security (and that makes sense). Prior to January, 2007, travelers to Mexico, Canada, and many Caribbean destinations did not need passports. This year, air travel to all destinations began to require passports. Next year sea and land travel would have also been included. However, because the State Department was unable to accommodate the increase in passport applications for this first phase, there have been short-term adjustments in the policies and that is what is creating the confusion. However, the long and the short of it is—within the next two or three years (depending upon how many readjustments there are going forward), everyone will need a passport to come back into the US. Why not get it now?

Sleeping Pods for London Travelers

Here’s a great idea—airports that have sleeping cubicles where travelers can catch a nap as they wait for connections. I just read about pod-like cabins that are scheduled to open at London’s Gatwick Airport starting on July 1. I read something about a similar service that was scheduled for Los Angeles International Airport. I would love to see this expand because there is no place less comfortable for long waits than the airport. The television is on and everyone is on their cell phone. I get tired of hearing why Aunt Mildred is not speaking to Cousin Jim or the gory details of Janet’s surgery.

The cabins at Gatwick rent for $50 for four hours and include internet and TV, as well as a private bathroom and shower. Sounds like a wonderful option for me.

New Business Class

I read an interesting article today about flights to Europe. I am planning to take my mother to Hawaii in August and had to pay double for her air ticket so that she could go first class, so I am thinking a lot about travel comfort. She has some health issues and would be unable to make the trip if she couldn’t elevate her legs. The rest of us have a hard time being crammed in coach for a long flight. The article talked about a new airline niche business that is developing. A few new lines are offering Business Class travel on smaller planes. That would make those long trips much more comfortable. Read more about it at
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118220442477339653.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

As usual, on Mondays I check what is going on in the travel industry. Lately there are always stories about passports, but there is also information about improvements or difficulties with cruise lines, resorts, or airlines. The one that caught my eye today was the customer service issues at United Air Lines. The articles gave examples of disastrous experiences of travelers on United and discussed the reasons for the difficulties. The airline industry is rated lower than other businesses in terms of customer service because there are some inherent difficulties, but United is having more problems than most. The reasons are obvious.

United Airlines emerged from Bankruptcy in early 2006. During restructuring they eliminated about a quarter of their workforce. The remaining employees do more for less money because of contract changes. In addition the phone reservations and customer-service jobs were outsourced to call centers in India, the Philippines, and Poland. It also eliminated 200 U.S. finance jobs, including 30 in refunds and these were also outsourced overseas. To deal with their developing customer service issues, they created the new position of Vice President for Customer Experience and named Barbara Higgins, formerly of Walt Disney Co. to the job. They will have to meet selection, training, and quality control challenges if they are to reverse the reputation they have been developing.

Travel Headaches

I heard a commentary on the radio yesterday concerning the headaches travelers can expect as we head into the peak season. I had noticed that all the flights I have been on lately have had every seat full. The expert noted that my impression was accurate. He said that, after the airlines were impacted by 9/11 and the industry retrenched, it has been growing back. Traffic today is above pre-2001 levels. However, the number of aircraft were reduced, and they were replaced with smaller planes that are less expensive to operate. This means that there are more travelers with fewer available seats. No wonder all the flights are packed. Those of us who travel will do better if we understand that checkins will take longer, there won't be much room, and other people will be stressed. I just try to stay relaxed and then have a better experience. I hope you can do the same.

More Passport Clarification

We have been fielding a huge number of calls in the last three days about the passport regulations. People continue be confused. The key is to remember that the government needs to be able to guarantee that the person traveling is who they say they are and that they are an American citizen. Nothing has changed for any destinations but Canada, the Bahamas, the Caribbean or Mexico. Those were the places impacted by the changes implemented by the State Department in January, 2007 and are causing the backlog.

If you are planning to travel to one of those places, you still need to apply for a passport well in advance of your departure. If your passport doesn't come in time, you can download confirmation that you applied off of the State Department website. You can show that along with a government issued picture ID (driver's license) and official state issued birth certificate (usually with a raised seal) in lieu of a passport. We hear rumors that a notarized document attesting to your citizenship will work, but I am skeptical. In my experience, the government has rules and they adhere to them. It is safer to follow them exactly.

The key here is that it will take four weeks for the record of the application to appear on the government website. If you have expedited your passport, it will still take a week. This means that it will not be possible to apply and fly the next day. I keep wondering why more people don't apply before they know they want to go anywhere to avoid these problems. If you get a passport now you can avoid expeditors fees and then you will be able to take advantage of any opportunities that come along.

Today, the State Department suspended the regulation that travelers in the Western Hemisphere need a passport to reenter the U.S. because of the increasingly long processing times for passports. Since the change in regulations in January, air passengers have needed to apply for their passport as much as 16 weeks in advance or pay an expeditor to speed up the process. This suspension of the regulation is probably because elected officials have been inundated with complaints from constituents.

If you have already applied for a passport, you can now go to the State Department website and get a confirmation that it is in the works. To do this, go to the link below. Once you have your confirmation, the printed copy can be presented at customs, in lieu of the passport, along with a driver’s license or other governmental ID. Passengers to destinations other than Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Mexico, and those who have not yet applied, will still need to get a passport. The biggest benefits to this relaxation of the regulations will be the elimination of travelers' anxiety about processing times and expeditor fees.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/npic/npic_896.html

Travel Experts

The more I come to know this business, the more I understand there is to learn. Today we were very excited when a radio station called Robbert to interview him for the news. Robbert is well-respected by other travel agents and has a wealth of knowledge, so it is appropriate that he would be asked to explain difficulties travelers are having right now with passport processing. Hopefully more travelers will understand that if you expect to leave the U.S., you need to plan ahead and apply for your passport early. In fact, it would be a good idea for anyone who thinks they might travel to get the passport now. Your local drug store can take the pictures for under $10 and you can get the application at many post offices.