January 2009 Money $aving Opportunities For many, the current economy dictates that companies look into money saving opportunities that might not previously have made sense. TravelFocus offers a variety of services that may fall into that category. TravelAudit TravelAudit offers fifteen (15) different reservation audits that surface savings opportunities. An example would be pre-trip notification, whereby TravelAudit can generate an e-mail to your travel manager, a supervisor etc. whenever an airfare, car rental or hotel is reserved a certain dollar amount over the lowest rate within the company policy. This audit does not inhibit the booking, but simply gives the organization pre-trip visibility to a policy violation so someone can take action. A separate audit opportunity is pre-trip approval, where the reservation would not be completed until we got approval. Contact your Account Manager or e-mail us at salesandmarketing@travelfocus.com for a complete review of the audit opportunities available to your organization, or for more information on the above. January Issue Page 1: Travel Audit Page 2 Effective 12 January 2009 new changes for passenger travels into the United Sates Continental Airlines to Start New Year with Flight Powered by Sustainable Biofuels Integrated On-line Booking and Expense Reporting Page 3 Continued: Continental Airlines to Start New Year with Flight Powered by Sustainable Biofuels Meetings Management Page 4 Continued: Continental Airlines to Start New Year with Flight Powered by Sustainable Biofuels Enhanced International Service Capabilities Page 5 American Airlines to Launch Daily Flights to Madrid from Dallas-Fort Worth in May Introducing Mobile Boarding Passes on American Airlines More Bogus Airline Emails Beware Page 6 Ascend Collection: Boutique and Unique Hotels
Page 2 Effective 12 January 2009 new changes for passenger travels into the United Sates If the passenger travels on a passport from any of these countries they must now register online at least 72 hours prior to departure to obtain an electronic travel authorization. This new electronic visa waiver affects anyone traveling to or via the USA holding a passport from one of the following countries: Andorra France Luxembourg Singapore Czech Republic Austria Germany Monaco Slovenia Estonia Australia Iceland Netherlands Spain Hungary Belgium Ireland New Zealand Sweden Latvia Brunei Italy Norway Switzerland Lithuania Denmark Japan Portugal United Kingdom Slovakia Finland Liechtenstein San Marino Republic of Malta South Korea For further information about the new travel authorization for the United States see https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/. Follow the instructions to submit an on-line application for an automatic travel authorization. If the application fails, travelers will need to contact their nearest US Consulate to obtain a visa. Money $aving Opportunities Continued: Integrated On-line Booking and Expense Reporting Through TravelFocus s relationship with ADP and Concur, we now offer a complete end-to-end booking and expensing experience to reduce the time it takes to book and expense travel. The nature of the integration allows you to compare booked, to charged to expensed travel data and thus spot anomalies and take corrective action to save money. Since the expenses flow seamlessly from the booking into the expense report, and since card data likewise is being collected and automatically inserted into the report, the traveler does not need to spend hours completing expense reports. Likewise, since that data flows into your Accounting operation, significant savings can occur with respect to expense report processing time as well. Contact your Account Manager or e-mail us at salesandmarketing@travelfocus.com for a review of this opportunity and to see how easily you can convert from your current online tool to the above. Continental Airlines to Start New Year with Flight Powered by Sustainable Biofuels Continental Airlines announced January 2, 2009 plans for the first biofuel-powered demonstration flight of a U.S. commercial airliner, to be conducted in Houston on Jan. 7, 2009. The demonstration flight, which will be operated with no passengers, will be powered by a special fuel blend including components derived from algae and jatropha If you have any questions regarding the information in this issue, please contact your Account Manager. In Focus is copyright 2007 by TravelFocus. All Rights Reserved. To unsubscribe, email: travelfocusnews@travelfous.com
Continental Airlines Continued: plants -- sustainable, second-generation fuel sources that don't impact food crops or water resources, and don't contribute to deforestation. Continental has partnered on this project with Boeing, CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of General Electric Company and Snecma, refining technology developer UOP, a Honeywell company, and oil providers Sapphire Energy (algae) and Terrasol (jatropha). Page 3 Money $aving Opportunities Continued: Meetings Management The demonstration flight will be the first biofuel flight by a commercial carrier using algae as a fuel source and the first using a two-engine aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 equipped with CFM International CFM56-7B engines. The fuel used in one of the two CFM engines during the demonstration flight will be a blend of 50 percent traditional jet fuel, and 50 percent biofuel from algae and jatropha. Operating under a specially-issued "Experimental" aircraft type certificate, the aircraft will be crewed by Continental's own FAA-licensed test pilots. With no passengers on board, the flight test plan calls for operating the No. 2 (right) engine on the special biofuel blend, including power accelerations / decelerations, in-flight engine shut-down and restart and other flight maneuvers that include both normal and non-normal procedures. Numerous flight parameters will be recorded, and a post-flight engine analysis will contribute to findings which are expected to show that the biofuel blend is readily substitutable for regular fuel without any degradation of performance or safety, and with a net reduction in carbon emissions. "This flight represents another step in Continental's commitment to reducing carbon emissions and identifying sustainable, long-term fuel solutions for the aviation industry," said Continental Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Larry Kellner. TravelFocus offers complete meeting management services to help you reduce the cost of planning and having meetings when 10 or more people travel to a central location and need airfare and hotel accommodations. The people can be coming from 10 different cities and we can offer discounted airfare in addition to negotiating discount hotel, meeting room, food and beverage, transfers etc. Contact your Account Manager or e-mail us at salesandmarketing@travelfocus.com to learn more or get a quote for an upcoming meeting. Continental, Boeing, UOP and CFM have worked together for more than nine months on the research, production and testing of the biofuel, including laboratory and groundbased jet engine performance testing to ensure compliance with stringent aviation fuel performance and safety requirements.
Page 4 Continental Airlines Continued: As part of a broader industry effort, Boeing and other industry leaders, including airlines and engine manufacturers, are helping to guide the aviation sector toward sustainable biofuels produced through advanced biomass conversion technologies and processes that have the potential to reduce greenhouse gases throughout their lifecycle. Sustainable biofuels for aviation incorporate second-generation methodologies relative to fuel source selection and processing, which are uniquely suited for aerospace use. These biofuels can then be blended with kerosene fuel (Jet-A) to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Continental's participation in this project is part of a company-wide commitment to environmental responsibility. On average, Continental burns approximately 18 gallons of fuel to fly one mainline revenue passenger 1,000 miles, which represents a 35 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption since 1997. This is due in large part to the efforts of its employees in streamlining operational procedures and to an investment of more than $12 billion to acquire 270 fuel-efficient Boeing aircraft and related equipment. Continental remains committed to further improving fuel efficiency in the decade to come, including investing in its fleet with orders for more than 50 Boeing 737-900 Next Generation aircraft, and 25 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Money $aving Opportunities Continued: Enhanced International Service Capabilities TravelFocus and several agencies throughout the world have joined forces to form Travel Solutions International (TSI) so that our clients who have international offices can consolidate the travel servicing needs of all offices into a single service and reporting platform. Contact your Account Manager or e-mail us at salesandmarketing@travelfocus.com to learn more. Continental has also reduced, by 75 percent, nitrogen oxide emissions from ground equipment at the carrier's largest hub, in Houston, through switching to electric ground service equipment and other new technology. This technology is now being tested for use in cold climates. Through these investments and other projects, including the construction of airport facilities in an environmentally responsible manner, the testing of alternative fuels in ground service equipment, offering a credible carbon offsetting program based on the actual fuel burn of the Continental fleet, and an expansive recycling program, Continental will continue to manage the environmental impact of its business.
Page 5 American Airlines to Launch Daily Flights to Madrid from Dallas-Fort Worth in May American Airlines today announced it will begin daily nonstop service between Dallas/Fort Worth Interna tional Airport (DFW) and Madrid, Spain, starting May 1, 2009. American will fly the route with its 225-seat Boeing 767-300 aircraft in two-class configuration. The inaugural departure, Flight 36, will depart DFW at 5:35 p.m., Friday, May 1, and arrive in Madrid at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 2 -- a flight lasting approximately 9 hours, 25 minutes. The first departure from Spain, Flight 37, will depart Madrid at 1:10 p.m., Saturday, May 2, and arrive at DFW at 4:45 p.m. the same day -- a flight lasting approximately 10 hours, 35 minutes. All times are local. Introducing Mobile Boarding Passes on American Airlines When you are traveling on select itineraries from Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Los Angeles International (LAX) and Santa Ana John Wayne/Orange County (SNA) airports, you now have the option to have your boarding pass sent directly to your mobile phone or other mobile device saving paper and time. Eligible itineraries include non-stop flights with only one passenger listed in the record locator*. Follow the easy steps below for your next applicable flight from ORD, LAX or SNA: How to use the new Mobile Boarding Pass More Bogus Airline Emails - Beware There are phony e-mails that are disguised to appear as if they are coming from many different airlines, including Delta and Northwest. Neither Delta nor Northwest have sent such e-mail messages to any customers, nor have other airline. The email thanks recipients for purchasing a ticket online and directs them to open an attachment which says; includes a receipt and flight ticket. The attachment is suspected to contain a virus that infects the user's computer once it is opened. The email may also contain spelling and grammatical errors. If it appears that you received a bogus email, beware that the format will not look familiar from those sent by TravelFocus or VirtuallyThere. Do not open the attachment. Delete the e-mail right away. 1. Check in on AA.com (or AA.com Mobile). Choose "Email for use on Cell Phone or other Mobile Device" option and include the e-mail address for your web-enabled mobile phone and/or mobile device. 2. Check your email from your mobile device. Follow the link on the email to retrieve your Mobile Boarding Pass.
Page 6 How to use the new Mobile Boarding Pass Continued: 3. Save the boarding pass to your device. Click the "Save Boarding Pass" button directly below the barcode to save it to your phone for easy access at the security checkpoint (check your phone/pda manual to locate where the Boarding Pass will save). 4. Proceed to Security. When you arrive at security, make sure the entire barcode is visible on the screen of your mobile phone or mobile device and have the backlight setting set to the brightest mode possible. If you have any problems, you will be given the opportunity to print a paper boarding pass at the selfservice machines. Ascend Collection: Boutique and Unique Hotels Ascend Collection is a network of Historic, Boutique and Unique hotels that gives you an authentic, local experience. It was designed specifically for people who appreciate an upscale hotel with a strong local flair. Member hotels share a passion for delivering attentive service to guests seeking a more experimental travel experience. And since the properties are independently owned and associated with Choice Hotels, you get the peace of mind that comes with a national brand. Ascend Collection hotels must embody one of three distinct categories - Historic, Boutique or Unique and show commitment to service excellence. HISTORIC HOTELS - STEEPED WITH TRADITION. Our Historic hotels have been embracing the heritage of their local communities for over 50 years. BOUTIQUE HOTELS - THE EPITOME OF MODERN SOPHISTICATION. Boutique hotels offer the latest décor and amenities, which are enhanced by an impressive level of customer service. UNIQUE HOTELS - A THEMED EXPERIENCE. For the distinctive traveler who is feeling more adventurous, our Unique hotels offer themed experiences you're sure to remember.
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