Latest news with #TravelAdvisor
Wall Street Journal
29-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
The Latest Trend in High-End Hotels? ‘Shoebox' Rooms
When Seattle-based travel adviser Shawn Kirschenman was tasked with finding a suitable London hotel room for parents traveling with their adult offspring, he turned to the five-star Kimpton Fitzroy in the city's Bloomsbury district. Though the trio had said they'd be fine sharing one room, Kirschenman suggested they spring for two: For the parents, he recommended a standard setup, and for their 50-something pilot son, an option called a 'City Single.'
Travel Weekly
07-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Travel advisors are appreciated, and so is air safety
Arnie Weissmann This is Travel Advisor Appreciation Month, and suppliers have been showing their support with deals and expressions of gratitude. To which I will add my own words of thanks, as a client rather than a supplier: Here's to you, Maria Carmen of Corporate Travel Management. Thank you for knowing my fussy preferences by heart, enabling me to go around the world and always having my back. There's no shortage of reasons to appreciate travel advisors, but one area that does not get as much attention as it deserves is their dedication to community service. I spent last Saturday morning at Internova headquarters in Manhattan for the I Am Cultured Annual Youth Travel and Career Summit. I Am Cultured is a wonderful nonprofit that prepares under-resourced students in Brooklyn to navigate life. Among its programs is the opportunity to travel abroad. I learned about it from a former co-worker, Reggie Hudson, who introduced me to its founder, Karmia Berry. I subsequently spoke with Internova CEO J.D. O'Hara about the organization, and we discussed ways to support its mission. Internova really stepped up, and not only to offer space in their headquarters for a job fair. It also reached out to preferred suppliers to meet with the kids to talk about careers in travel. Over the past three years that Internova has been involved, it facilitated support for career day from Accor, AmaWaterways, Delta, Disney, the Globus family of brands, Hyatt, MSC Cruises, Omni, Royal Caribbean, Singapore Airlines and The Travel Corporation. Delta, American and Hyatt were represented by speakers this year, as well. I know several agencies and agency groups that have foundations or affiliated nonprofits or programs to support their own communities or the communities where they send clients. It's an area of advisor service that I sometimes feel goes unnoticed by many but is never underappreciated by the people who have been helped. Real ID is now for real As I write this, airports are preparing for the implementation of Real ID requirements to fly. I have been thinking all week about Norm MacDonald's joke that the "I" in "ID" stands for "I" and the "D" for "dentification." I don't know whether the TSA will be staffed to handle those who do not have Real IDs and may need further verification, but I do worry that no one standing in a TSA line on May 7 will have much to laugh about. Still, those whose travel advisor told them to bring their passport if they don't have a Real ID will do better than most, and it got me wondering what percentage of U.S. citizens currently hold passports. Approximately 47% of our compatriots do. This is a huge jump from 17% in 2000 (and may help explain why the term "overtourism" wasn't coined until 2008). But those holding passports are not evenly distributed across the states. Those lacking Real IDs but with passports and departing from airports in New Jersey, California and Massachusetts will have the fewest problems; those are the three states with the highest passport ownership in the country (79.9%, 71.8% and 71.2%, respectively). The states with the fewest households holding passports are West Virginia (20.7%), Mississippi (22.1%) and Alabama (27.7%). As Real ID issues may persist for some period, if you find yourself flying out of one of these Southern states, you may want to get to the airport early, and with some good reading material. Stress on air traffic controllers It's great that New Jersey flyers lead the country in holding passports, but those flying from the Garden State have other issues to contend with. The strain of an antiquated air traffic control system that is 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing (yes, you read that right) took a noticeable toll this past week when air traffic controllers in Philadelphia lost contact for 90 seconds with the airplanes they were guiding into and out of Newark. May I humbly ask that the 300 fired people who maintain our air traffic control system be rehired? This was too much for some of the staff in what is one of the most stressful jobs in America: Four of the controllers responsible for Newark air safety took trauma leave, which could last for up to 45 days. DOGE fired fewer than 400 out of 45,000 workers at the FAA. Although the FAA and DOT won't say which positions were cut, the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union said that 300 of those were maintenance mechanics, aeronautical information specialists, aviation safety assistants and management and program assistants -- the people who help maintain the outdated air traffic control system. This was done despite being 800 technicians short of its hiring target. May I speak on behalf of flyers everywhere and humbly ask that they be rehired? Travel Weekly has been writing about "next-gen" air traffic control since 2007. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is asking for billions of dollars to update the system, but even if approved, it will be years before a new system is fully implemented. The time is long, long overdue for bipartisan support for this funding.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EXPEDIA GROUP CELEBRATES GLOBAL TRAVEL ADVISOR DAY AS A PART OF ONGOING INVESTMENT IN TRAVEL ADVISORS
Expedia Group hosts a series of worldwide events to commend its travel advisor partners. Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP) expands to the U.A.E., giving more travel advisors access to the booking platform. Expedia Group rolls out ways for advisors to maximize earnings and new flexible payment methods. SEATTLE, May 07, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Expedia Group is celebrating Global Travel Advisor Day by hosting several events across the world to recognize and show appreciation for its Expedia TAAP travel advisor partners and the vital role they play in the travel ecosystem. To celebrate, Expedia Group is organizing exclusive gatherings, including breakfasts, lunches, and evening receptions, across key markets including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, China, and Japan. These events serve as a dedicated moment to recognize travel advisors, express gratitude for their contributions, and share exciting updates. Expedia Group will also showcase new products and enhancements to its Expedia TAAP global booking platform, which connects travel advisors to its extensive portfolio of hotels, vacation rentals, flights, packages, car rentals, and activities. "Global Travel Advisor Day is an opportunity for Expedia Group to celebrate and support travel advisors worldwide," said Robin Lawther, Vice President of Expedia TAAP. "With today's announcement, we're reinforcing our commitment by expanding into new markets and launching initiatives that help advisors attract customers, personalize experiences, and grow their businesses. By investing in tools that improve cash flow management and create new revenue opportunities, we're empowering them to thrive in an evolving industry." Expanding supply and launching to new markets Expedia TAAP advisors in the U.S. point of sale can now book Southwest flights, further enhancing the platform's value. With multiple connectivity sources including GDS, direct airline connections, and NDC, advisors can effortlessly search, compare, and book flights. Additional perks like bundled packages provide travelers with even more flexibility. As demand continues to rise in a thriving travel market, Expedia TAAP is expanding its presence in the U.A.E., strengthening its support for travel advisors in the region. This expansion reflects the company's commitment to empowering Middle Eastern partners with access to a vast travel inventory and unlocking new revenue opportunities. Maximizing earnings and flexible payment options To further empower travel advisors, Expedia TAAP has introduced the agency service charge to majority points of sale, allowing advisors to add a discretionary fee to lodging bookings. This feature helps advisors get compensated, on top of regular commission, for their expertise when the booking is made, without requiring a separate transaction.
Travel Daily News
07-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Perillo Tours celebrates 80 years of travel
Perillo Tours celebrates 80th anniversary and Travel Advisor Appreciation Month with incentives and heartfelt recognition for loyal travel advisor partners. WOODCLIFF LAKE, NJ – Perillo Tours, America's leading tour operator to Italy since 1945, toasted its 80th year milestone and the start of Travel Advisor Appreciation Month with an intimate reception for travel advisors on May 1. Regional travel advisor partners from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, as well as the Perillo Tours sales team and staff, gathered at the Woodcliff Lake, NJ headquarters to mark the occasion and celebrate the long-standing collaboration between Perillo Tours and the travel advisor community. During the evening, Steve Perillo, third-generation owner of Perillo Tours addressed the attendees extending his heartfelt thanks to the travel advisor community. Perillo said, 'May 1 marks our company's 80th birthday, but tonight is all about celebrating you, our valued travel advisor partners. Your professionalism and dedication have helped us fill countless tours and create endless, lasting memories for our travel clients. We're grateful for your continued partnership and are committed to growing together in the years ahead.' In celebration of Travel Advisor Appreciation Month, the Tour Operator is offering advisors a limited-time incentive throughout the month of May. Travel advisors can earn an $80 gift card for every new guest booking on available Perillo Italy escorted tours or Perillo Custom Vacations trip to Italy. Perillo Tours' Travel Advisor Appreciation Month promotion is valid for new reservations on any published 2025 or 2026 escorted tour series to Italy or any 2025 Perillo Custom Vacations journey to Italy booked between May 1-31, 2025. For each guest booked, travel advisors will receive an $80 gift card via email approximately one month after client deposits are received. There is no limit to the number of gift cards travel advisors can earn during the May promotion. To be eligible, travel advisors must have a valid IATA number and be registered as a travel advisor with Perillo.
