Business Travel Tips

Hertz has recently launched a car sharing club in New York, London and Paris.
Called Connect by Hertz, with plans to include further cities for 2009 and beyond, it is the only global car share club offered by a traditional car rental company.

Connect by Hertz membership offers consumers a convenient alternative to car ownership.
The annual fee includes insurance, fuel, roadside assistance, maintenance, cleaning and use of a universal key card. Rentals are charged hourly.

Members enroll online and get 24/7 access to a centrally located fleet of vehicles.
When making a reservation, they receive an email confirmation as well as a text message indicating the reserved car’s license plate and location. To unlock the vehicle, members need to swipe their membership card over the car’s radio-frequency identification reader.
Should they need assistance, a audio kit in the car connects them to a Member Care Center representative.

- A fleet of environmentally friendly vehicles
All Connect by Hertz cars in the US are EPA SmartWay certified, indicating high quality environmental performance.
To get details of Hertz’s car sharing program visit Connect by Hertz.

With companies reducing business travel and fewer airline passengers to rent cars at airports, the car rental industry has been heavily hit by the economic downturn.

USA TODAY reports figures showing the current frailty of the industry’s health.

- Avis Budget Group this month eliminated 2,200 jobs — about 7% of its employees. Hertz says it laid off 2,000 workers this year, and Dollar Thrifty, Enterprise, National and Alamo also reduced their workforces in recent months.

- Hertz reported that net income dropped 94% to $63 million during the first nine months this year. There also was a 2% drop in the number of days its cars were rented.

- Advantage Rent A Car announced on Dec. 8 that it filed for bankruptcy reorganization in federal bankruptcy court. The company also said that rentals are no longer available at most of its 48 U.S. locations.

- A Standard & Poor’s research report released in late November said Dollar Thrifty “appears to be the most likely” of the big rental companies to file for protection from creditors in bankruptcy court. A Dollar Thrifty bankruptcy filing “might even result in a liquidation,” the report said. (source)

usatoday.com also cites a study showing customer satisfaction with renting cars at airports has declined considerably.
To survive car rental companies are reducing their workforces and fleets and shuttering under performing locations.
Also, because the used car market is weak and their resale values are low, car rental companies are keeping vehicles in their fleets longer. That means growing difficulties in supplying clean and well-maintained cars.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports airlines routinely let sick passengers fly and rarely comply with regulations requiring that they notify the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of certain illnesses. The journal writes paramedics were called tend to at least 75 sick passengers at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in October and November.

The CDC has requested that airlines also report anybody who has a fever plus difficulty breathing, headache with stiff neck, reduced level of consciousness or unexplained bleeding. Such symptoms “may indicate a serious, contagious illness,” the agency says. However airline industry officials said their employees aren’t trained medical professionals. How are they to know someone has a fever, unless it’s very high?

- What you can do -

Travel and health experts advise:
- Don’t travel if you’re sick. Think about other passengers who are particularly vulnerable: People with immune systems weakened by disease, cancer treatment or transplants; very young children and the elderly.
- Tell your airline: Airlines will sometimes allow ill passengers to postpone or change their flight and waive any fees, but they do it on a case-by-case basis and may require a doctor’s note.
- Buy travel insurance. At the time you book your trip, purchase insurance that covers the cost of your ticket if you become ill or injured. For trips abroad, get travel insurance that will cover your medical evacuation back to the United States.
- Wash your hands. And do it properly: With soap and warm, running water for at least 20 seconds. Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a backup.
- Avoid touching surfaces. Not everyone washes their hands in the bathroom — but they probably grabbed the door handle when they left. Use a paper towel to open the door. And avoid touching other surfaces that may harbor bacteria or viruses, such as airline tray tables and airport ticket counters.
- Ask for another seat. If another passenger is so ill that it makes you uncomfortable, speak up. Alert airline staff, especially before boarding. If the person is seated next to you, ask if you can be moved.
- Get a flu shot. With peak flu season approaching, it’s still not too late.
- Know the local diseases. If traveling to other countries, you may need other shots or medicines to protect you
(source)

Frontier Airlines has introduced a new pricing model including three different fares types: Economy, Classic and Classic Plus.

Main features

- Economy
Passengers must pay a $15 fee for a first checked bag and $25 for a second. A $150 fee is required to change your flight. Snacks are not included. Customers earn 100% of the miles. No advance seat assignments.

- Classic
Free two checked bags and advance seat assignments. Change fee is $50 and same-day stand-by costs $75. Snacks are not included. Customers earn 25% bonus mileage.

- Classic Plus
Free two checked bags, advance seat assignments priority boarding, and snacks. No penalties for change-fees or stand-by. Customers get a fully refundable ticket and earn a 50% mileage bonus.

Beginning Thursday Dec. 18, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways will reduce their fuel surcharges.

British Airways is cutting the charge on World Traveler class flights of nine hours or longer from £96 ($147) to £66. For World Traveler class flights of less than nine hours the new fuel surcharges is £53 ($82). For First class and Club class passengers on long-haul flights, the surcharge will be reduced by £30 to £85.
Also BA said it will cut surcharge on domestic and European flights by 25 percent.are being cut

Virgin Atlantic announced it is cutting surcharge on long-haul economy flights from £96 to £66 and on other flights in similar ways to BA’s reductions.