Business Travel Tips

Air Canada passengers who fly from Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver airports are now able to print off their own baggage tags.

In order to take advantage of this self-tagging system passengers are required to enter their Booking Reference number at an available kiosk in the airport. Passengers who use web check-in, alternatively can scan the bar code printed following the Web Check-in.

After printing, fliers attach the tags and take the baggage to the Baggage Drop-off, then proceed to security areas and departure gates as normal.

On Christmas Eve all-Business Class Maxjet Airways ceased flights. The airline which started the operations in 2005 and had been offering “all-premium” flights between London and New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, filed for bankruptcy protection.

Maxjet stated it took such a drastic measure because of soaring fuel prices and the deteriorating credit market.
However analysts say Maxjet could not compete with American Airlines, which started service between New York JFK and London Stansted — one of Maxjet’s crucial routes, in October. American Airlines would offer a better frequent-flier program, more efficient aircraft with upgraded business class seats, corporate contracts and over all 20 flights daily to three London airports. So, high fuel prices would be only a contributing factor that led Maxjet to cease the flights.

As meanwhile, Continental Airlines and Silverjet — another all-business class carrier, said they would honor limited numbers of Maxjet tickets, Maxjet would be working with its rival, the all-business class Eos Airlines to find alternative routes, also advising customers who had booked tickets to seek refunds from their travel agency or credit card company. (source)

Fog caused flights to be delayed and cancelled at London Heathrow.

More than 1,000 people spent the night at Heathrow, where fog grounded some 140 flights last night with 29 more flights were cancelled today. BBC reports that passengers also facing problems at other UK airports. Some services from London City and Gatwick have also been suspended.

British Airways is offering Club World seats on U.S. - London flights at as low as $1,088, each-way.

BA Club World means flying near the pointy end of the airplane and seats that lie flat a full 180 degrees, in which you are served gourmet meals and fine wines, with the package including also arrival’s lounge access at London Heathrow or London Gatwick.

Booking time: by January 3 at least 21 days in advance of departure.
Travel time: from January 10 through March 23.
Below a sampling of these BA deals to London (airfares are each-way based on a round-trip purchase, neither taxes nor fees are included)
- from Atlanta (ATL) : $1,388
- from Baltimore/Washington (BWI) : $1,188
- from Boston (BOS) : $1,188
- from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) : $1,388
- from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) : $1,408
- from Detroit (DTW) : $1,388
- from Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH) : $1,408
- from Los Angeles International (LAX) : $1,558
- from Miami (MIA) : $1,408
- from New York Kennedy (JFK) : $1,088
- from Newark Liberty International : $1,088
- from Orlando (MCO) : $1,408
- from Philadelphia (PHL) : $1,188
- from Phoenix (PHX) : $1,558
- from San Francisco (SFO) : $1,558
- from Seattle/Tacoma (SEA) : $1,603
- from Washington, DC Dulles (IAD) : $1,188

London Heathrow’s Terminal 5, scheduled to open on March 27, 2008, will feature an innovative new system in its main car park which is supposed to help passengers who can’t remember where they parked.

It is a new car-finding technology using infrared cameras to capture an image of a car’s license plate as it enters the garage and then when the car has been parked at its parking spot. Passengers can find their car by inserting the parking ticket or keying in the plate number at a Car Finder kiosk in the terminal.

The new car park also will feature a messaging system to guide drivers, when they first arrive, to an empty parking space using illuminated green or red light arrows on the floor. As the cars don’t have to circle repeatedly, this new technology will have environmental and customer service benefits. Environment as well as security were the factors that led to this car-finding technology.