United Airline messing with business travelers… April 21, 2008

My husband travels alot – and this news is not exciting!  He uses United for a huge percentage of his business travel.  Read on…

United Adds Saturday Stay, Raises Ticket-Change Fees
Mon Apr 21 2008, by TravelTrade Staff

United Airlines is increasing business travel fares by requiring a Saturday night stay in about 65% of markets and will boost ticket-change fees to offset fuel costs.

The Saturday-night stay requirement has been tacked on to all tickets where United competes head-to-head with other legacy carriers, impacting business travelers, who usually don’t want to spend a Saturday night in their destination.

In addition, United’s fee for passengers to change tickets will rise from $100 to $150.

Last week, United added an additional $20 roundtrip fuel charge in markets that already had a fuel fee. A $10 surcharge was added in markets where no fee had been in effect.

 

 

Fuel Cost rising – Travel Vendors passing the cost on… April 20, 2008

After the recent news of the Cruise lines giving money back to customers after they charged fuel supplements on bookings already made.  NCL can stand proud on this one, as they didn’t do what the other did.  They only charged the fuel supplement on bookings made after the announcement.

NCL annouced this week that come May 1st – their fuel supplement charge that they started this past fall at $7 will go up to $9 per person (for first two passengers in each room) per day.  So on a 7 day cruise that’s $126 extra for a couple to cruise.  All of this makes looking at advertised prices a little tricky.  A cruise that’s posted for $699 – is going to cost a couple about $1589 with taxes.  (Cruises don’t include air unless you add that…)  Here in Oregon where we aren’t used to sales taxes… makes it even harder to tell someone the total price of their trip.

Carnival Corp (includes Princess, Holland, Seabourn, Cunard, Costa and Carnival) raised their fuel charge to $7 per person per day for all bookings made after TODAY April 20th.  They had been at $5 a day- same as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.   At the present moment RCCL and Celebrity are still at $5 a day.  Kudos to them if they can stay there.

NEWS- Royal Caribbean is raising their also.. up to $8 – All bookings made after May 1st. That includes Celebrity and Azurmara (never sure if I’m spelling that right, new cruiseline…)

Then there is air…

Just got a message saying the United is charging a fuel supplement on their Hawaii flights, all fares - $40 per person.  Yikes!

Need to start shopping for that electric car so I can still afford to travel!!

Hallelujah -Celebrity goes non-smoking in staterooms and balconies!! April 12, 2008

 

Big news for non-smokers like me that have not loved the smoking in staterooms policy of all cruise lines until NOW.  Read on…

Fri Apr 11 2008, by TravelTrade Staff

Celebrity Cruises will ban smoking in staterooms and on stateroom verandas beginning Oct. 1. The cruise line will also reduce the number of public areas in which guests can smoke onboard.

The new policy was created after Celebrity polled past guests and found a large demand for more smoke-free areas, the line said. Smoking will continue to be allowed on the port side of one lounge per ship and a designated slot machine area in each ship’s casino. Outdoor areas include the port side of the pool deck and sundecks on each ship, the port side of the Sunset Bar on Celebrity Century and on Celebrity’s Millennium class of ships and the port side aft outside of Winter Garden on Celebrity Galaxy and Mercury.

Celebrity’s new Solstice class of ships, which launches with the Solstice later this year, will follow the new policy beginning with the first sailing. The Solstice’s Lawn Club and the Sunset Bar at the Lawn Club will be smoke-free.

The new policy goes into effect on Celebrity’s fleet on the first day of each new sailing following Oct. 1. Violations to Celebrity’s smoking policy may result in a $250 cleaning fee charged to the guest’s onboard account.

“We pay careful attention to what our guests have to say, and approximately 90% of them have told us they are non-smokers,” said Dan Hanrahan, Celebrity Cruises’ president and CEO. “By increasing the number of smoke-free areas onboard while still designating areas for those who smoke, our aim is to make the onboard experience as pleasant as possible for all of our guests.”