In 2000, under the leadership of then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the UN member states launched the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs were 8 logical, measureable, agreed-upon goals dealing with poverty, education, gender equality, child and maternal mortality, diseases, the environment and global partnerships.
Low-cost Airlines Gaining Popularity Internationally
Low cost airlines are gaining popularity with travelers. With the rise of wealth in developing countries, more travelers are buying plane tickets. Worldwide, airlines such as AirAsia, Spirit and Ryanair are taking over the industry. The travel market . . .
Air Travel Expected to be
the Busiest Ever this Summer
It is expected to be the busiest summer ever for travel this year. Airlines for America, an industry group, expects 222 million travelers to fly between June 1 and August 31. This is a 4.5% increase from last year. To meet this surge in numbers, airlines are . . .
Work and Wellness go Hand-in-Hand
for the Modern Day Business Traveler
Hotels are revamping themselves to accommodate the health concerned traveler. Mia Kyricos, Chief Brand Officer of Spafinder Wellness, Inc. said; “The business traveler, when they are on the road is ultimately trying to take as good care of themselves . . .
Bill to Crack Down on Safety Threats of
Accelerated Airport Screenings
Securing Expedited Screening Act (H.R. 2127) is a new legislative action that will counteract the free trials of PreCheck, previously offered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). In the past, passengers could pay an $85 fee for . . .
Windstar Appoints Omega World Travel CEO
as Godmother of New Cruise Ship
Gloria Bohan, the CEO and founder of Omega World Travel, has been appointed as the Godmother of Windstar’s newest cruise ship, Star Legend. Omega World Travel is the largest travel agency founded and operated by a woman. With . . .
Customer-Obsessed Delta
Delta has recently received recognition as a “customer-obsessed” company by Forrester Research’s “Winning in the Age of the Customer” report released last week.
In order to be recognized on Forrester’s short list, enterprises must be successful and customer-focused, embracing the mobile mind . . .
When the 193 member states of the United Nations General Assembly convene in September, they will deal with a wide-range of issues, such as terrorism, poverty, climate change, diseases, nuclear proliferation and a myriad of other issues. They will also celebrate the 70th anniversary of the UN. This would be an ideal time to review the evolution of the UN, its necessary services and unique challenges . . .
Improving Small Plane Safety
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced Tuesday that it launched the IATA Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA), a voluntary safety audit program created for smaller airlines not eligible for the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), specifically for operating airplanes . . .
Visa Travel Payments Now Include Ancillaries
Good news for business travel as Visa has announced they will now be distinguishing ancillary fees from ticket fees on their reports. Ancillary fees include, any non-ticket related purchases, such as in-flight meals, WiFi, baggage fees and entertainment. Before Visa made this change, any travel purchases were simply recorded as ticket-related, and it was the job of the traveler or the company to label those . . .
Hurricane-like Winds Slam Europe
Heavy winds swept across Britain, Germany and the Netherlands on Tuesday, forcing numerous flight and train delays and cancellations as hurricane-force winds lashed parts of northern Europe. Gusts up to 120 km/h caused the Dutch meteorological office to issue a code red warning for the low-lying country's northern and coastal provinces. About 140 flights . . .
More Routes to US on AeroMexico
AeroMexico continues to increase its connectivity between North America and Mexico by adding more business and touristic destinations to its network. Recently, Mexico's global airline announced that they would be strengthening Monterrey as one of the airline’s main hubs by adding new routes to Houston, Miami and New York starting in late March of 2015. In May 2015, AeroMexico will inaugurate daily service from Toronto, Canada to . . .
Visa Changes
In the past week, several countries have announced modifications to their visa policies for tourists trying to enter their countries. Egypt stated that beginning May 15, travelers will be required to obtain a visa from their local Egyptian consulate prior to traveling to the country. On the other hand, Indonesia announced that they will have an open . . .
Hilton Gives WiFi to Guests . . . if
Beginning in August, Hilton will extend free WiFi to all of its HHonors members if they book directly or book through a travel agent who books through Hilton’s proprietary distribution channels. Free WiFi is already available to HHonors Gold and Diamond members, just as long as they book directly or through direct-booking agents. Hilton also promises that they will soon add Blue and Silver members to this eligible list in August.
Lufthansa Long-Haul Flights Makeover
Lufthansa is taking another major step towards its goal of becoming the first 5-star airline in the western hemisphere with its new First Class and the other corresponding range of services passengers will be provided. This summer the rest of their First and Business Class cabin makeovers will be complete, and by the end of 2015, all Lufthansa long-range aircrafts will feature a new Premium Economy cabin.
