Business Travel Tips

United Airlines has started to offer in the continental U.S. door-to-door, overnight delivery of suitcases.
United’s new service, “Door-to-Door Baggage“, enables customers in the continental U.S. to ship their suitcases, or other travel items, overnight from a home or office directly to their destination within the 48 contiguous United States.

- Rates
$149 one way for flights less than 1,000 miles, or $179 for longer flights.

- How it works
Up to 10 days prior to travel, customers visit united.com/doortodoor where they select their appropriate trip and then schedule and pay for their shipment. Next, customers print their shipping documents that will be attached to the bags by the courier service.
On the scheduled pickup day, the bags are picked up at a home or office - generally between noon and 6 p.m. - or dropped off at any of the courier’s authorized shipping centers. By 4:30 p.m. the next day, the bags are delivered to the customer’s final destination.

- New revenue stream for United
Dennis Cary, United’s senior vice president and Chief Marketing and Customer Officer says in the press release: “While offering customers a new benefit, it also provides United with a new revenue stream that, when combined with our other ancillary revenue and fee initiatives, is expected to generate more than one billion dollars in 2009.”

To offer this new service, United Airlines is teaming with FedEx, whom will move the luggage. (source: United press release)

After the completion of Delta-Northwest merger, fliers are wondering what is going to happen about the two airlines with ticket prices, frequent-flier programs, hubs etc…

Travelers will see first changes in the early 2009, with the two airlines saying a consolidated flight schedule is expected before next Summer.

USA TODAY elaborated a list of Q&A about the most common questions people are asking on how the merger will affect travelers.

Q: What will happen to the frequent-flier programs?
A: Delta’s SkyMiles program is the likely survivor, but members of Northwest’s WorldPerks program will keep all the miles they’ve earned. Elite Delta and Northwest frequent fliers are immediately eligible for complimentary upgrades on both airlines.

Q: Will ticket prices change?
A: Prices change constantly in the airline business, but they probably won’t change as a direct result of this merger. Some consumer advocacy groups argued this merger would lead to reduced competition and higher average fares than otherwise would be the case. That remains to be seen.

Q: How much do the airlines overlap?
A: Very little directly. They compete head-to-head on just 12 non-stop routes. They do compete indirectly on hundreds of one-stop and multistop domestic and international routes. Delta and Northwest will soon begin coordinating flight times, pricing and aircraft schedules to better compete for those connecting-flight passengers who might now fly other carriers.

Q: What’s ahead for international travelers?
A: Northwest is particularly strong in the trans-Pacific market, and Delta’s a power in the trans-Atlantic and Caribbean markets and also flies to South America. The merged Delta will be the No. 1 or No. 2 carrier on flights between the USA and most regions of the globe. That will make it a formidable competitor in bidding for global corporate contracts and in winning consumers whose travels take them to many places.

Q: Will any hubs be closed?
A: Delta and Northwest executives say no. There are many skeptics. Considered most endangered are Delta’s Cincinnati and Northwest’s Memphis hubs, which already have seen deep service cuts.
(Source: usatoday.com)

In a poll among the readers of SmarterTravel.com, Southwest was voted the best airline in nine of 11 domestic “best of” categories (best value; best customer service; best airfare prices; best routes and availability; most-reliable on-time service; best baggage service; best standard economy class; best value frequent-flier program and cleanest airline cabin).

Another discounter, JetBlue, was voted best airline airline for the categories “best in-seat comfort” and the “best on-board entertainment” for domestic carriers.

Among international carriers, British Airways ranked first for the “Best Value International Airline“.

The poll also voted the airports. The favorite U.S. Airport for SmarterTravel.com’s readers is Las Vegas (LAS), the least favorite is Chicago O’Hare (ORD).
Complete results of the poll here.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says it is working to ease the liquid restrictions at airport checkpoints. It plans to improve process and technology to remove some restrictions in 2009 and eliminate them definitely within 2010.
Below step-by-step, as suggested by TSA, the path that should lead to remove restrictions about liquids.

Now: We are pretty close to having a network of AT-X-Ray deployed so that nearly 70% of daily passengers will be using major airports with AT. TSA is getting the hardware installed so that when the software is ready in the next year or so, all we have to do is a software upgrade. We will be testing software versions in the coming months.

Fall-2009: Size restriction removed, but all liquids will have to be placed in a separate bin. AT X-Ray software will be advanced enough to tell the difference between threat and non-threat but not yet proven to tell the difference when it is hidden in a bag.

End of 2010: No restrictions. AT X-Ray will have upgraded software that is proven to detect threat liquids in any configuration and is deployed in enough places so that TSA can change the rules to meet one uniform standard for the country.

Next Steps

TSA is working with our partners around the world to share technology both ways and this has resulted in a faster development process and will mean that there could be common design standards with major partners like Canada, the EU, and Australia.

It is also likely that when the U.S. takes steps on liquid restrictions, we will do so in harmony with others, as we did with the 3-1-1 (three ounce container/one quart bag/one bag per person) liquids rule. It is fair to say that we and our global partners see the threat in the same way and know that a common, high level of security encompassing a large part of the world is in everybody’s best interests.
Right now at home, we’re looking at some short term options based on passenger feedback and input from airports and airlines. We think there is an opportunity to build on the Diamond Self-Select lanes systems that we have tried in 2008.

The Diamond Self-Select lanes system, where expert travelers and families choose the lane best suited for them, has worked well. The expert lanes are fast and the Family lanes are hassle-free and they are at 45 airports today. TSA, airports, and airlines can further develop that concept, and we’re looking at something along the following lines.

- Limit the Black Diamond (Expert) lanes more formally beyond self-select.
By number or size of carry-ons?
By 3-1-1 only, no exception liquids?
- Focus liquid detection technology at the Family/Special Needs lanes and ask those with exception liquids to go there – speeding up the other lanes in the process?
(source: TSA)

British Airways is increasing its flights between New York Kennedy and London. On Sunday, October 26, BA has launched daily nonstops flights from New York JFK to London Gatwick (LGW).

The British carrier will fly the JFK-LGW route once daily using a Boeing 777 fitted with 14 First Class,, 40 World Premium economy, 48 Club World, and 124 economy seats.

Located 28 miles south of city centre, London Gatwick is connected to central London via the Gatwick Express.

BA plans to further extend its JFK – London routes with the launch of New York JFK – London City Airport flights beginning next year. The carrier will mostly target Business Class travelers using fitted A318 twinjets on this route.