American Airlines is resuming service from New York Kennedy and Philadelphia to St. Thomas and St. Maarten this week, ending a 15-month hiatus caused by Hurricane Irma in September 2017.
Flights from Philadelphia resumed Wednesday and flights from New York launch Saturday.
American flies year-round daily service from Philadelphia to St. Maarten and four times per week year-round from Philadelphia to St. Thomas.
From Kennedy, the carrier operates a Saturday flight year-round to St. Thomas and Saturday winter seasonal service to St. Maarten.
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A large study from Phocuswright foresees five years of sales growth by U.S. travel agencies. Photo: Shutterstock.com
The annual prediction that computers will replace travel agents surfaced again in November — and was quickly picked up by travel professionals fighting back on Facebook. Then came the facts: A large study from Phocuswright foresees five years of sales growth by U.S. travel agencies.
That same week, Phocuswright issued a report titled, “U.S. Travel Agency Distribution Landscape 2016-2021: From ‘Survivor’ to ‘The Bachelorette,’” which found that, "Travel agents aren't only surviving; they're being courted. Suppliers, consortia and host agencies are trying to attract travel agents to their products.”
U.S. travel agency sales will grow nearly 13 percent, from $112.8 billion in 2017 to $127 billion in 2021, according to data culled by Phocuswright from air, car, hotel, cruise and tour suppliers, the report said. “Leisure agents are specialists; they are entrenched in certain consumer groups and are communicating constantly with their customer network via mobile devices, social media, whatever works. Personal networks and relationships are playing into agents' hands, since this shows they're truly the keepers of the keys to lucrative leisure travelers."
Travel agents cite big numbers "I believe that being a travel advisor is not only becoming a more desirable profession, but it has remarkable potential, especially for a luxury leisure advisor,” said Kimberly Wilson Wetty, co-president of Valerie Wilson Travel in New York. “Very few careers give the ability to truly make a difference in people's lives. You become a valuable resource for clients on how and where they spend their hard-earned vacation time. Additionally, being a travel advisor has many benefits, such as the ability to travel and build friendships around the work. In my mind ... not a dying career.”
Debbie Fiorino, senior vice president of Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc., also expressed a positive outlook: "There has never been a better time to become a travel agent. The vacation booking process has become more complex and the internet further complicates the planning process by providing thousands of search results and recommendations. Travel agents are able to not only qualify consumers into selecting the right vacation to meet their needs and exceed their expectations, but can also provide personal recommendations based on their own travels and industry training.”
And, a sea of travel agents agreed.
“My dying profession has grown steadily every single year since 2011 (when I started my travel agency). It has always seen double-digit annual increases, and my sales are currently up 30 percent over this time last year,” said Karen Coleman-Ostrov, owner of a Dream Vacations franchise in Gilbert, Arizona.
Caryn Berla, at ABC Family Cruising & Travel in West Windsor, New Jersey, said: “I started in 2011 and have seen double-digit growth every year, including this year (up 35 percent).”
Kristina Raykinstein, owner of KVR Travel Group in suburban Detroit, scoffed: “This is my fourth year, and I went from 0 to $1.3 million in sales … yep, definitely a dying breed.”
“This made me spit out my coffee,” said MaryAnn Fusco at MSW Travel in Uniondale, New York, citing “33 years, 21 ICs, most with me, 25 years. You don’t make six figures and travel in luxury in a dying profession.”
Dream Vacation Franchise Owner Wendy Montebello chimed in with: “My numbers doubled in 2017 and again in 2018. Just try booking a trip on your cell phone. In this Door Dash world, why go get McDonalds when you can have it delivered? It’s all about having someone do tasks for you.”
Tammy Jones-Deem, at TJ’s Travel LLC in Tyler, Texas, had this to say: “I’m currently looking at my best year in 35 years in the industry. A quality travel counselor is fast becoming more and more valuable. I’ve had clients tell me I’m on their speed dial, along with their accountant and attorney.”
And Teri Hurley, of Endless Love Travel, said: “Those custom FITs, especially those who aren’t looking to do two weeks on $3,000, come to us. In droves. As do those whose lives are enabled by support services such as yard care and pet sitters. They are busy and they need it to be the best it can be.”
The future looks bright for Suzanne Haire, of All Travel Company in Indianapolis. In her fourth year in business, with sales of over $1 million, she said: “I have more Millennial and Gen Z clients than Boomers and Gen X. My business is on the rise; the younger generations want direction and inclusion of information that will lead them to experiences. They do not want click and order and hope for the best.”
In short, said Geoff Millar at Ultimate All Inclusive Travel Inc., “I attribute our success to the fact that we specialize. Travel is not a unique product. Your in-depth knowledge and your experience are the unique products you sell.”
Delta Air Lines is making zoned boarding a thing of the past.
Starting on January 23, 2019, boarding with Delta will be by branded fare purchased.
The new boarding structure builds on Delta’s progress to provide consistency, simplicity and clarity to the gate and boarding experience, which have, so far, delivered all-time high customer experience scores.
The new boarding process will continue to give priority to SkyMiles Medallion Members and eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express Credit Card Members.
Delta will introduce new branded boarding that distinguishes new color accents for each of Delta’s fare products. Basic Economy, Main Cabin, Delta Comfort plus, Delta Premium Select/First Class and Delta One will each have a complementary color from booking through boarding.
“Every customer values consistency and a sense of knowing what to expect when they’re traveling,” said Tim Mapes, Delta’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “We have been listening to our customers about the stress they often feel at the gate before boarding, and implementing small changes for years. This latest enhancement further refines how Delta’s process works and is designed to better link the Delta product they purchased to differentiated experiences throughout their journey.”
In January, boarding zones for Delta-operated flights will be renamed from numbers to the branded fare purchase but will also still reflect customer loyalty. This will lead to an increased number of boarding zones, which also means fewer people will be lining up at the gate area at one time.
The boarding order is as follows:
Delta One
Delta Premium Select or First Class
Delta Comfort plus
Sky Priority
Main Cabin 1
Main Cabin 2
Main Cabin 3
Basic Economy
Matty K Travel is a full service travel agency which also has Castle Vacation, a Disney Inspired Agency and Long Island Loyalty Travel, an agency that rewards shopping local.
Norwegian Breakaway debuts in New Orleans (Courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line)
Norwegian Cruise Line announced Tuesday its winter 2020/2021 itineraries are now on sale.
For travelers who love the Caribbean, the Norwegian Joy will set sail from Miami for the first time and cruise a mix of five-to-seven-day Western and Eastern Caribbean voyages. In addition, the Norwegian Encore will return to Miami to sail seven-day cruises to the Western Caribbean with calls to Roatan Island, Honduras; Harvest Caye, Belize; and Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.
The Norwegian Escape will homeport in Port Canaveral, sailing five-and-seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries with calls to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas; Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Cayman Islands; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
As for the Norwegian Breakaway, the ship will return to New Orleans and sail seven-day voyages to the Western Caribbean, while the Norwegian Epic will sail seven-day cruises to the Southern Caribbean from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
In other sailings, the Norwegian Getaway will sail select seven-and-eight-day cruises to the Bahamas and Florida from New York, the Norwegian Gem will host a variety of Southern Caribbean voyages and the Norwegian Jade will sail a variety of Western and Southern Caribbean cruises through April 11.
“We are so pleased with the variety of itineraries we are providing, including positioning sister ships, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Encore, to sail from the Cruise Capital of the World, where we can showcase the ship’s stand-out amenities to thousands of guests each week,” Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Andy Stuart said.
For those who prefer to sail the Mexican Riviera, the Norwegian Bliss will return to Los Angeles to sail an array of voyages including five-to-seven-day cruises with visits to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and Ensenada, beginning October 18.
The Norwegian Jewel will embark on Australia and New Zealand cruises starting October 9, with stops in Milford Sound, Doubtful Fjord, Dusky Fjord, Dunedin, Picton, Wellington, Napier, Tauranga, Bay of Islands and Auckland.
As for the Norwegian Star, it will sail 14-day South American cruises with calls to Montevideo and Punta Del Este, Uruguay; Puerto Madryn, Argentina; Stanley, Falkland Islands; Ushuaia, Argentina; Punta Arenas, Cape Horn, Puerto Chacabuco and Puerto Montt, Chile, beginning on December 19.
All itineraries are open for sale with the exception of the Norwegian Jewel, Pearl and Star sailings which will open for sale on December 21.
Call us today for exclusive pricing and amenity offerings. 516.366.9008
Cinderella's Castle at Sunset in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World (Photo by Lauren Bowman)
12/19/2018
Visiting Walt Disney World is a dream vacation for any family, and the theme park company is offering special 4-Park Magic Tickets for 2019.
Beginning January 18, travelers will be able to purchase four-day, 4-Park Magic Value Ticket for $85 per day (plus tax) for a total price of $340 (plus tax). The tickets include one day of admission to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom, for a total of four admissions over four separate days.
The ticket packages are seasonally priced for varied usage between January 18 and September 30, as follows:
Four-Park Magic Value Ticket:Valid for admission January 18 - March 1; must be used within seven days from first use, or by March 1, whichever comes first:
—Adult: $85 per day, plus tax ($340 total, plus tax)
—Child: $80 per day, plus tax ($320 total, plus tax)
Four-Park Magic Select Ticket:Valid for admission March 2 - March 14; March 27 - April 9; April 27 - May 27; and August 19 - September 30; must be used within seven days from first use, or by September 30, whichever comes first:
—Adult: $89 per day, plus tax ($356 total, plus tax)
—Child: $84 per day, plus tax ($336 total, plus tax)
Four-Park Magic Summer Ticket:Valid for admission May 28 - August 18; must be used within seven days from first use or by September 30, 2019, whichever comes first:
—Adult: $95 per day, plus tax ($380 total, plus tax)
—Child: $90 per day, plus tax ($360 total, plus tax)
Travelers visiting Disney in 2019 should be aware of the new shows, parties and character experiences coming to all four theme parks, including Mickey & Minnie’s Surprise Celebration at Magic Kingdom; the Hakuna Matata Time Dance Party at Animal Kingdom; the Epcot International Festival of the Arts and more.
When booking now through January 2, families can save up to 25 percent on rooms at select Disney World hotels for stays most nights January 1 - April 27.
Delta Bans Emotional Support Animals from Longer Flights
Delta Air Lines announced Monday it would be updating its policies to ban emotional support animals from flights scheduled to last longer than eight hours.
In addition, Delta also revealed it will no longer allow service and support animals that are less than four-months-old on any flight.
The new rules and regulations apply to travelers purchasing tickets on or after December 18, with customers purchasing tickets before that date being permitted to still travel with their animal.
Starting February 1, the ban on emotional support animals on longer flights and animals less than four-months-old will be in effect for all customers, regardless of booking date. As a service to valued customers, Delta’s Reservations and Customer Care team will contact impacted travelers to adjust reservations.
“We will continue to review and enhance our policies and procedures as health and safety are core values at Delta,” senior vice president John Laughter said in a statement. “These updates support Delta's commitment to safety and also protect the rights of customers with documented needs – such as veterans with disabilities – to travel with trained service and support animals.”
Delta’s decision to update its policy again comes after an 84 percent increase in reported incidents involving service and support animals since 2016. The issues include urination, defecation, biting and even a widely reported attack by a 70-pound dog.
The changes were influenced by the animal vaccination policy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the principles outlined in the United States Department of Transportation’s Air Carrier Access Act.
