Business Travel Tips

Starting from July 2007, Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair will launch in-flight cellphone service.
All the airline’s jets will be equipped with cellphone capability.

Passengers will be able to use mobile phones or devices such as BlackBerrys for calling, messaging, and emailing at rates which will mirror international roaming charges. Ryanair will receive commission payments based on the level of cellphone usage on board its flights.

To avoid the risks of misuse of in-flight calls, OnAir, the company providing the service, told guidelines on usage will be established, alongside to technical controls that will allow the crew to manage this capability as they want.

According to a research by Accenture, 90 percent of business travelers use the Internet to research flight times and check availability.

Arranging travel online for consumers is becoming as familiar as shopping or chatting.

Among the business travelers’ trends reported from the Accenture’s study:

- two thirds of business travelers say they check in online;

- 74 percent say they book trips online;

- cost is the primary concern of most business travelers;

- delays remain the top inconvenience for most business travelers.

You’ll save from 10 to 15 percent if you book US Airways flights with MasterCard.

The offer is valid on seven European routes: Glasgow (GLA) and Stockholm (ARN) — 15 percent off, Manchester (MAN), Amsterdam (AMS), London Gatwick (LGW), Shannon (SNN), and Paris (CDG) — 10 percent off.

Purchasing must be done with with MasterCard by September 15.
Travel Period: September 5 through December 13

TSA Security officials said the restrictions imposed after August 10 will remain in effect until authorities will have finished studying the plot and other potential threats.

Security officials also said they are constantly adjusting and examining the list of items banned on Aug. 10, The Washington Post reports.
The authorities amended the restricted items, allowing passengers to bring medications, baby food and solid lipsticks on airplanes. The TSA also began requiring passengers to remove their shoes to be X-rayed.

In the first days after the new restrictions, analysts and aviation industry leaders worried that the bans could hurt the airlines because many travelers would not want to deal with the hassle of checking bags.

H0wever…

Airlines have reported that the number of checked bags has risen substantially since the restrictions were enacted but said there has not been a decline in ticket sales.

After American, Delta and United rescinded a $5-each-way fare increase on Monday, the rise of airfares appears to have halted.

However, many industry analysts say that such moves don’t necessarily mean that prices are ready for a drop off.

Their skepticism seems to find a confirmation in the fare sales, common a year ago, that have become harder to find now.