Dubai plans underwater hotels
Well, it’s certainly something new. Government-backed investment company Dubai World has signed a deal to develop undersea hotels. The hotel is to be a discus-shaped residential building 10 metres beneath the surface of the sea, composed of 21 hotel rooms adjacent to the underwater dive centre and a bar. It is connected to another discus above water.
The rooms will feature a special lighting system and miniature underwater vehicles that can be operated from inside allowing guests to take a closer look at the underwater creatures using macro photography.
The project will be funded by Swiss company, BIG InvestConsult, which holds the technology rights.
More info and pictures at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/12/underwater-hotel-dubai_n_1511501.html
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
NOT GOOD ENOUGH -Looking for value
A new report says travellers are increasingly unhappy with online travel agents and supplier websites. The reason for the dissatisfaction is that most OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) misread their customers, by concentrating primarily on price rather than value, The report, "Travel 2020: the Distribution Dilemma" reveals that fewer than half of leisure and business travellers believe they’re getting value for money when they book online.
Personalized service which is generally lacking in OTAs and at supplier sites is a major cause of the problem. A focus on these areas by traditional agents could tilt the scales in their favour - especially as travel spending continues to rebound. "While booking fees have declined over time, the disassembly of the travel agent model has also resulted in a decrease in customer services," wrote Steve Peterson, lead author of the report. The study says technology has hindered customer service at least as much as it has helped, because travel suppliers have turned increasingly to automation and away from human sales reps to fulfill travel orders. This is not the first report to suggest travellers are unhappy with OTAs.
Atmosphere Research Group's fourth-quarter 2011 survey of 5,058 online leisure travellers in the US found that 69% said they enjoyed online travel planning and booking, but just 54% believed that travel websites presented clear information.
Reprinted from Business First - YYZ Travel Group May Newsletter
Monday, April 16, 2012
Passport Update: Dominican Republic
STARTING April 30, Canadians will be required to present a passport, valid for the length of their stay, to visit the Dominican Republic. Until then, Canadians entering by direct air travel only have to be in possession of valid official photo identification (such as a driver's licence) and proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate). Canadian tourists must also be in possession of a return airline ticket.
However, Canadian citizens returning to Canada who present other documents, such as a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship, birth certificate, provincial driver’s licence, or foreign passport, instead of a Canadian passport, may face delays or be denied boarding by transport companies. Canadians entering the Dominican Republic for tourist purposes must purchase a tourist card, at a cost of US$10, which is valid for 30 days. Those wishing to stay longer must pay a surcharge at the airport upon departure or request an extension by visiting the Department of Immigration in Santo Domingo. Those wishing to work in the Dominican Republic must apply for a business visa. More information can be obtained by contacting the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Ottawa.
A departure tax of US$20 is charged for stays of up to two weeks. The departure tax for stays longer than two weeks varies depending on length of stay and nationality. The tax applies to all international flights and may be included in the price of the airline ticket. Travellers should confirm this information with their travel agents.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Airline Jargon......what does it mean?
Have you wondered what a split ticket is? Are you confused as to what is the difference between a direct and non stop flight? Your travel professional can help you navigate through this maze of jargon and ensure that your flights are booked properly and not have you arrive in Sydney Nova Scotia instead of Sydney Australia. But for those that still insist on booking their own flights hopefully some of the explanations below will help you........
Airline alliance: An agreement between a group of airlines involving the sharing of flight codes, reservation systems, airline clubs, or frequent flyer benefits (see code share below). The two largest are Star Alliance and Skyteam.
Airport code: the three digit code which is unique to a specific airport. eg. YYZ for Toronto or LHR for London Heathrow
Code share: An agreement between two airlines in which each shares its flight codes, which means travelers purchasing one airline's ticket might actually be flying on the other carrier's plane. Many connecting flights involve code-share partners. Might also include other types of agreements, such as reciprocal frequent flyer benefits.
Connecting flights: a journey where the passenger must change planes to reach their final destination. The passenger will disembark one plane and go through a second boarding process before boarding the plane that will take them to their final destination.
Connecting point: the airport where the traveller changes planes.
Consolidators: airlines often sell blocks of seats to a third party who then sell these to passengers at discounted prices. The airlines are reluctant to publicly discount tickets and so mask this process through consolidators. The tickets usually have a number of restrictions on them so check the conditions of your travel arrangements carefully before booking them.
Direct flight versus non-stop: A flight which involves one or more stops (however, you stay on the same plane). Depending on time some airports allow passengers to disembark during the stopover and board again just before takeoff.
"Non-stop" means there are no stops before you get to your destination. Most customers prefer non-stop flights and will pay a premium for greater speed and less hassle.
Illegal connection: flights that are booked where the time between landing and taking off on the next flight does not adhere to the legal minimum requirements
Minimum connecting time: the smallest amount of time that is allowed to change planes at an airport. If these conditions are breached it is known as an Illegal connection. General rule is 45 minutes on domestic flights and 1 hour on international connections.
Open-jaw: a ticket that allows the traveller to depart from a different airport to the one in which they landed. For example you could fly from Toronto to London but return to Toronto from Paris.
Open ticket: Full fare tickets that have no restrictions and allow you to change the date of return for a fee. They are more expensive, but not always a lot more. Usually have a 1 year time limit on the return flight.
Split ticketing: the purchase of two separate roundtrip flights to a destination. As example you find a roundtrip fare from Toronto to Vienna that costs $ 1,200. However while you were searching you found a roundtrip ticket from Toronto to Amsterdam for $ 600 and then an roundtrip ticket from Amsterdam to Vienna for $ 400. By booking these two tickets separately you would have saved $ 200. However, you must ensure proper connection times and of course flights are from the same airport. Example is London Heathrow and London Gatwick. (See minimum connecting time above)
Stopover – an overnight stay (or possibly longer) at a location en-route to your final destination. This is usually done to break up a very long journey eg. London to Sydney with a stopover in Hong Kong. Most airlines do not charge extra for a stopover.
Airline alliance: An agreement between a group of airlines involving the sharing of flight codes, reservation systems, airline clubs, or frequent flyer benefits (see code share below). The two largest are Star Alliance and Skyteam.
Airport code: the three digit code which is unique to a specific airport. eg. YYZ for Toronto or LHR for London Heathrow
Code share: An agreement between two airlines in which each shares its flight codes, which means travelers purchasing one airline's ticket might actually be flying on the other carrier's plane. Many connecting flights involve code-share partners. Might also include other types of agreements, such as reciprocal frequent flyer benefits.
Connecting flights: a journey where the passenger must change planes to reach their final destination. The passenger will disembark one plane and go through a second boarding process before boarding the plane that will take them to their final destination.
Connecting point: the airport where the traveller changes planes.
Consolidators: airlines often sell blocks of seats to a third party who then sell these to passengers at discounted prices. The airlines are reluctant to publicly discount tickets and so mask this process through consolidators. The tickets usually have a number of restrictions on them so check the conditions of your travel arrangements carefully before booking them.
Direct flight versus non-stop: A flight which involves one or more stops (however, you stay on the same plane). Depending on time some airports allow passengers to disembark during the stopover and board again just before takeoff.
"Non-stop" means there are no stops before you get to your destination. Most customers prefer non-stop flights and will pay a premium for greater speed and less hassle.
Illegal connection: flights that are booked where the time between landing and taking off on the next flight does not adhere to the legal minimum requirements
Minimum connecting time: the smallest amount of time that is allowed to change planes at an airport. If these conditions are breached it is known as an Illegal connection. General rule is 45 minutes on domestic flights and 1 hour on international connections.
Open-jaw: a ticket that allows the traveller to depart from a different airport to the one in which they landed. For example you could fly from Toronto to London but return to Toronto from Paris.
Open ticket: Full fare tickets that have no restrictions and allow you to change the date of return for a fee. They are more expensive, but not always a lot more. Usually have a 1 year time limit on the return flight.
Split ticketing: the purchase of two separate roundtrip flights to a destination. As example you find a roundtrip fare from Toronto to Vienna that costs $ 1,200. However while you were searching you found a roundtrip ticket from Toronto to Amsterdam for $ 600 and then an roundtrip ticket from Amsterdam to Vienna for $ 400. By booking these two tickets separately you would have saved $ 200. However, you must ensure proper connection times and of course flights are from the same airport. Example is London Heathrow and London Gatwick. (See minimum connecting time above)
Stopover – an overnight stay (or possibly longer) at a location en-route to your final destination. This is usually done to break up a very long journey eg. London to Sydney with a stopover in Hong Kong. Most airlines do not charge extra for a stopover.
Friday, April 6, 2012
AIRPORT NEWS FOR AVID TRAVELERS
MONTRÉAL-PIERRE-ELLIOTT-TRUDEAU International Airport has become the first airport in North America to offer passengers self-service baggage drop-off points, essential counterparts to the kiosks and other self-service systems already available. This latest development means that Montréal-Trudeau passengers can now complete the entire check-in process themselves. However, before proceeding to a self-service baggage drop-off point, they must have already checked in and printed their luggage tags at a self-service check-in kiosk. This process normally takes less than a minute. Airline agents are available to help passengers if necessary.
Developed in collaboration with COFELY Services, a subsidiary of the GDF-Suez Group, the new selfservice baggage drop-off points are equipped with bar-code readers and touch screens that passengers can use to enter the necessary information by following the instructions. In this way, the system automatically matches pre-checked-in passengers with their pre-tagged luggage. WestJet is the first airline to adopt the process for its flights. Other carriers operating out of Montréal-Trudeau are also planning to offer their passengers this option soon. Passengers who still wish to have the option of checking in at a traditional airline counter are welcome to do so. Self-service baggage drop-off facilities are also already in operation at some of the world‟s airports, notably in Europe.
Courtesy of YYZ Travel Group April 2012 Newletter
Monday, March 5, 2012
ONE PERSON, ONE PASSPORT - NO EXCEPTIONS
IMPORTANT
Passport Canada reminds Canadians that every person, whether a child or baby, must have a valid passport when travelling outside of Canada. Regardless of whether the child or baby is accompanied or is travelling alone, a valid passport is needed. Passport Canada is advising passengers planning a trip to make sure they know the requirements and precautions for travelling with children. Additional documentation may be required.
CANADIAN PASSPORT APPLICATION FORMS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
Online passport application forms prompt users to enter the correct information in the right places Passport Canada has announced that Canadians can now fill out their passport application online. Using an interactive form that prompts users to enter the correct information in the right places, Canadians can now avoid the risk of error that comes with the paper forms.
Canadians still have to print the form, sign it and mail it to Passport Canada or submit it in person at a designated Passport Canada location You still have to print the form, sign it and either mail it to Passport Canada or submit it in person.
Visit ppc.gc.ca for more information or to fill out the online form.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
USE THEM OR LOSE THEM - AIRLMILES
Air Miles sets expiry date on unused reward miles
One of Canada's most popular loyalty programs has a message for Air Miles collectors: use 'em or lose 'em.
As of Saturday, participants in the Air Miles reward program will be required to use their existing miles before they expire on December 31, 2016. In addition, reward miles earned after New Year's Eve will only be valid for five years after they're first posted. Air Miles collectors gather miles by making qualified purchases from the program's participating sponsors. Until now, the miles - redeemable for eligible merchandise, including electronic goods, plane tickets and vacation packages - never carried an expiration date.
There are more than 10 million active Air Miles collector accounts. The programme gives away more than $500 million in rewards each year, said Neil Everett, executive vice-president and chief marketing officer for Air Miles. Everett said while the programme has been "tremendously successful,'' there's still a large percentage of collectors who have never redeemed miles.
“We've got collectors with miles sitting on our books for 20 years,'' he said in his recent interview. “As a result of that, it makes it very difficult as a programme continues to grow to be able to basically plan your financials accurately. And as a result, we need to get better discipline in place.'' Everett said they want collectors to redeem because it's the only way the programme stays viable.
Everett said the average collector who redeems miles typically takes 2 1/2 years from when they start earning to when they cash them in. A new feature called Air Miles Cash will allow collectors to instantly cash in their miles at participating retailers, using them toward purchases for items like gas and groceries. Under the programme, which begins in March, 95 reward miles will earn collectors $10 off while cashing out their purchases.
Collectors will be able to redeem in $10 increments up to a maximum of $200 per day, including taxes. But collectors won't be able to carry over existing miles to redeem for Air Miles Cash. Everett said they interviewed nearly 3,500 collectors and asked whether they wanted the programme keptthe same or opt for the instant cash feature that would require them to start fresh. Given the choice, Everett said collectors loved the convenience of instant cash and accepted the inability to transfer miles as a short term problem. Tens of thousands of collectors have apparently activated accounts for Air Miles Cash with most splitting their miles between dream rewards - for merchandise and travel - and cash rewards.
Everett notes that about one-third of rewards redeemed annually are for trips, and collectors succeed at doing sobecause they set goals, research and assess how to best leverage the programme. Everett acknowledges accumulating enough miles to redeem for trips won't be achievable for everyone, which is why he said Air Miles Cash is another option.
One of Canada's most popular loyalty programs has a message for Air Miles collectors: use 'em or lose 'em.
As of Saturday, participants in the Air Miles reward program will be required to use their existing miles before they expire on December 31, 2016. In addition, reward miles earned after New Year's Eve will only be valid for five years after they're first posted. Air Miles collectors gather miles by making qualified purchases from the program's participating sponsors. Until now, the miles - redeemable for eligible merchandise, including electronic goods, plane tickets and vacation packages - never carried an expiration date.
There are more than 10 million active Air Miles collector accounts. The programme gives away more than $500 million in rewards each year, said Neil Everett, executive vice-president and chief marketing officer for Air Miles. Everett said while the programme has been "tremendously successful,'' there's still a large percentage of collectors who have never redeemed miles.
“We've got collectors with miles sitting on our books for 20 years,'' he said in his recent interview. “As a result of that, it makes it very difficult as a programme continues to grow to be able to basically plan your financials accurately. And as a result, we need to get better discipline in place.'' Everett said they want collectors to redeem because it's the only way the programme stays viable.
Everett said the average collector who redeems miles typically takes 2 1/2 years from when they start earning to when they cash them in. A new feature called Air Miles Cash will allow collectors to instantly cash in their miles at participating retailers, using them toward purchases for items like gas and groceries. Under the programme, which begins in March, 95 reward miles will earn collectors $10 off while cashing out their purchases.
Collectors will be able to redeem in $10 increments up to a maximum of $200 per day, including taxes. But collectors won't be able to carry over existing miles to redeem for Air Miles Cash. Everett said they interviewed nearly 3,500 collectors and asked whether they wanted the programme keptthe same or opt for the instant cash feature that would require them to start fresh. Given the choice, Everett said collectors loved the convenience of instant cash and accepted the inability to transfer miles as a short term problem. Tens of thousands of collectors have apparently activated accounts for Air Miles Cash with most splitting their miles between dream rewards - for merchandise and travel - and cash rewards.
Everett notes that about one-third of rewards redeemed annually are for trips, and collectors succeed at doing sobecause they set goals, research and assess how to best leverage the programme. Everett acknowledges accumulating enough miles to redeem for trips won't be achievable for everyone, which is why he said Air Miles Cash is another option.
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