Business Travel Tips

Beginning April 10 through October, American Airlines will fly daily to Rome from both Chicago O’Hare and New York JFK.

From October 28 through March 31, AA will fly from Chicago to Rome four times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday) and three times a week from New York (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday).

The services will be operated using Boeing 767-300 jets. Details on AA website.

Beginning May 7 through October 27, Northwest Airlines will add a second daily roundtrip service between Detroit and Frankfurt.

This service will be operated by Northwest and KLM under the terms of their joint venture agreement, using Northwest’s Boeing 757 equipment in a special two-class transatlantic configuration.

Based on their agreement, the two airlines plan also to increase flights between Amsterdam and Detroit, New York JFK, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Toronto.

A Miami Herald article lists a few basic tips for Americans traveling to Europe for business. Here’s a brief of the article — after leaving out a lot of the obvious.

1. What is the single most important thing that business travelers should know before they visit Europe?  
The most common negative comment made about Americans is that they know nothing about the rest of the world and don’t seem to have any interest in learning. Knowing a little about the history and present-day issues of the country you are visiting shows respect.

2. Appearances count!
Europeans are more formal. They still use titles and seldom use first names until a long and personal relationship is established. Their body language, posture and presentation are more reserved than Americans.

3. You will still be greeted and welcomed into shops and restaurants depending upon how you present yourself. Arriving in sneakers and a sweat shirt may cause you not to get served – especially in the better places.

As an European — I’m Italian, who also travels frequently for business I disagree on that. That is a common misconception about European restaurants. In Italy, you could better be welcomed when wearing stylish sneakers and sweatshirt by designer, than wearing ugly suit.

4. Other than the obvious are there any things that could get American travelers in trouble in Europe? Car theft and purse snatching are major problems in most big cities. Traffic is out of control in many cities. Drivers in Portugal, Spain, Italy or Greece are the worst in the world. High speeds and disregard for road rules make driving hazardous. Take trains or use mass transit, which are generally good, clean and safe.

Oasis Airlines is offering London at half price to passengers over 55 y.o..

If you are over 55y.o. and book by February 1, you can fly from Hong Kong to London Gatwick in business class at HK$3,300 and in economy at HK$650 — fares one-way.
Also, you are allowed to take one companion on trip at the same fare. No age restrictions apply for your companion.

Travel period: January 25 – February 28 and April 15 - May 31, 2007.

Some low cost services connecting Asia and Australia to US are expected to be launched in the next months..

Australian Jetstar Airways, a Qantas low-cost subsidiary, has announced will soon start low cost flights between North America and Australia.

Hong Kong-based Oasis Airlines will start a service to Oakland, California from June.
Malaysian AirAsia X also has announced new low cost flights to US.