Business Travel Tips

American Airlines customers who are traveling to international destinations will be able to check their bags with the skycap. The airline is making available its Curbside Check-In service to all customers traveling internationally.

American has been expanding this service for customers traveling abroad to 28 airports that currently offer domestic Curbside Check-in and also plans to add it to thirty-one more U.S. airports by the beginning of November.

Curbside Check-in offers a seamless transition from booking to boarding. It gives travelers the convenient opportunity to book, purchase and check-in from home, drop their bags curbside with a skycap and move directly through the security check-point to their gate.

The service to international destinations will be available to customers who use online flight check-in and electronic tickets.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has published a reminder to let fliers know how they can sign up to participate in TSA Pre™ , the program offering travelers the chance to test the expedited screening concept at select airports in the U.S..

TSA says that members of one of CBP’s Trusted Traveler programs, such as Global Entry, SENTRI or NEXUS and frequent flyers with Delta Air Lines and American Airlines should have already received communications telling them how to opt into the TSA Pre — as TSA is partnering with American and Delta airlines, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to identify a limited group of potential participants in TSA Pre™ .

However, to those who didn’t get the initial communication, TSA says they can still participate in TSA Pre and here suggests how to do it.

American Airlines has some mileage offers related to its joint venture partnership with Japan Airlines.

The airline offers 50% off mileage redemption on flights on San Francisco – Tokyo Haneda and Vancouver – Tokyo Narita routes. Travel period: between November 1, 2011 and February 29, 2012.

Also, AA offers double miles on American codeshare flights operated by Japan Airlines if booked into K fare or higher (high fare class). Travel period: between November 1, 2011 and February 29, 2012.

According to the 2012 Global Travel Forecast by Carlson Wagonlit Travel, despite the economic uncertainty caused by slowing global growth, flight prices and hotel rates are expected to increase in 2012.

Below is a table of how business travel costs — including airline pricing, average daily hotel rates and car rental rates — will rise by region based on the forecast data (decreases are marked in red).

According to the 8th annual SITA Airport IT Trends Survey, a study tracking airport technology trends, airports identify “improving customer service” as the top priority when it comes to IT investment. 63% of respondents said improving customer service is their highest priority, followed by “airport safety and security” (53%) and “reducing the cost of business” (46%), when they consider a new technology investment.

The survey, sponsored by Airports Council International, carried out among 100 airport operators representing more than two thirds of the world top 100 airports by revenue, also found that the percentage of revenue airports spent on IT investment rose to 4.4% in 2010 — it was 3.6% in 2009 — and that 81% of airports expect IT budgets to remain the same or increase in 2012.

In order to improve the passenger experience, IT investments airports are considering are mostly focussed on mobile services for passengers, on self-service options and on passenger flow management.

Over 50% of respondents said they use mobile services for passengers to provide updates and flight information as around 80% said they will add these services by 2014.

When it comes to self-service options, 53% of airports are planning to increase the number of check-in kiosks and nearly 25% plan to introduce kiosks for new services.

IT investment on passenger flow monitoring is another top-priority airports identify to improve the passenger experience.
It aims to shorten queues, to reduce congestion, and wait times. 22% of respondents said they monitor how passengers move through the airport, with 49% who have plans to do so by 2014.