At the beginning of the year on my show, I declared 2009 the "Year of the Travel Deal".  Today, I thought I'd elaborate a bit.

As you may or may not know I am on a mission to get more people traveling more often, staying longer, and enriching their lives with the positive power of travel.  That may sound petty but the bottom line is…I WANT PEOPLE TO TRAVEL MORE!  Travel has positive effects for adults in the form of improved mood and improved mental functioning.  Jonah Lehrer's new book: "How We Decide" talks about this concept and states numerous studies to support his theory.   Travel also has been shown to have a strong developmental impact for young people as James Martin asserts in a recent article (see below).  Others even advocate making it a standard part of a well rounded secondary education (link to article below).  Rich or poor, young or old, travel benefits everyone.
       
Recently, the economy has been a little on the soft-side.  I know that may be a bit of an understatement, certainly for those who have lost their jobs, but let's not focus on the negative…let's look beyond.  The skies are sunnier for the weary, cash-strapped, would-be traveler. You see, generally speaking, when the US economy tanks people often cancel their travel plans; which means the supply of hotel rooms, airline seats, rental cars, and admission tickets increases.  And when there is a surplus (or excess inventory) then the price comes down.  Just because the economy goes into the toilet doesn't mean they start tearing down hotels.  On top of that, gas prices are the lowest they've been in 6 years - this reduces the cost of all forms of travel.  Those low prices are expected to start rising in the second half of the year due to changes in production and proposed tax increases.  So the time to travel is now - start hunting for those deals! 

However, a word of caution.  When shopping for deals, be sure to know the party that is offering you the deal.  As they always say "buyer beware".  In addition, look for packages.  This is a great way to save additional money.  Bundling up airline tickets, hotel room nights, and a car rental is very common in the travel business, but again, be sure to read the fine print.  While we're on the subject, when you book that "perfect deal", book carefully.  Make sure to get the names, dates, destinations, and credit card numbers correct.  A misstep with just one of these details can cause your trip to be delayed or even cancelled without a refund.

2009 is the year of the travel deal and who better to take advantage of this than you?  After all, you deserve a vacation!

Happy travels.

James Martin’s article

Whether you have a sweetheart this year or not, this Valentine’s Day will be a holiday to remember.  Why?  Because you’re going to take this holiday opportunity to do something special for someone else.  There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine's Day.  Some experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity.  He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries.  Other reports indicate St. Valentine left a goodbye note for someone he loved and signed it "From Your Valentine".  Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius.  Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him.  In 496 A.D Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine.  That’s not really relevant to anything unless of course you want to impress your friends with your Valentine’s Day trivia!  Just remember the golden rule: do unto others as they would do unto themselves.

If you have opted to be alone (by choice or just by circumstance), here are a couple of suggestions to help someone else celebrate the occasion.

• Family members are great recipients on this holiday.  Buy mom a card or a bouquet of flowers.  A niece or a nephew would appreciate a couple of free iTunes downloads.  Visit an aunt or an uncle just to say “I haven’t seen you in awhile” let’s have some tea.  You get the idea.
• Marking this holiday at work can be a little tricky because you don’t want to get slapped with a sexual harassment suit.  However, an innocuous gift (if it’s allowed) can usually bring a smile to someone’s face.  A Starbucks gift card is always a nice option.
• If you choose to target just one person this year, then why not choose a person (preferably not at work) who routinely performs a service for you.  Mail carrier, guy at the deli, your housekeeper, your super superintendent etc.  A nice card to say “you’ll always be my housekeeper valentine and a $25.00 Visa Card can help make their entire week!

If you have a sweetheart, here are just a few suggestions from the extravagant to the simple.

• Whisk away to a far off romantic destination where they pamper your every moment with lavish opulence.  Get some ideas from Priceline.com where you can save up to 50% on your hotel stay.  May I suggest an all-inclusive as a nice stress-free romantic getaway?!  Sandals is always a great option, and you'll find great value.  They have some great promotions going on as we speak.  It's never too late to book a last minute getaway. Expedia wants you to treat yourself (and your sweetheart) with unbelievable last-minute trips.
• Stay closer to home by indulging in sensory overload in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  If your special someone loves chocolate, this will be a Valentines they won’t soon forget.
• Bed & Breakfasts are a nice touch if you are looking for something a little romantic and “off the beaten path”.  Have a look at www.bedandbreakfast.com for ideas.
• Even closer to home, organize a babysitter for the kids (as a surprise) and check in to a local boutique hotel.  Stop by ahead of time, check in and jazz up the room with all the usual suspects.  Champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, rose pedals on the bed, and whatever else.

If your sweetheart would appreciate it, write them a poem or a song, paint them a picture, or give them a homemade coupon book for things they love (foot rub etc).

With or without a sweetheart, you can make someone else very happy this year by taking the time to show them how special they are to you. Good luck you old softy!

Giving the gift of travel couldn't be easier. Aside from the numerous benefits to that special someone, you won't have to go to the mall and stand in line just to do it.

In order to give the BEST gift possible, consider a few factors first. Is your special someone single, married, recently divorced, etc.? Do they travel often? If so, what frequent flier programs are they enrolled in? If you are considering airline vouchers or hotel nights, they would love to earn points on YOUR gift.

From luggage to sightseeing, here are a couple of suggestions:

Tours (New York):
NYC Sightseeing Tours
Enthusiastic Gourmet

Lodging:
Save on NYC Hotels with Priceline
Special Offers @ Marriott
BestRates at Best Western
Check out the Luxury at Wynn Las Vegas

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to giving the gift of travel. Hopefully it will start the creativity flowing on what to give...and maybe you can drop a few hints of the travel gifts YOU would like to receive this year!

Happy Holidays!

October 1, 2008


Gerard Arpey
Chairman & CEO
American Airlines

Dear Mr. Arpey,

I am writing this letter to inform you of an American Airlines employee’s outstanding customer performance not just for me, but for about 1,000 other passengers.

On September 28, 2008, I was scheduled to depart 6:55am PST on an AA flight from Reno, NV to Dallas, and then on to New York. Upon my on time arrival at the gate for boarding (70 minutes prior to departure) I started to hear some chatter about a mechanical problem yesterday which caused my flight to be very full. The gate (C10) was slowly filling up and that’s when I saw Bobbie for the first time. 

Bobbie arrived on time to get my flight boarded. From my vantage point, there were a few passengers that were visibly annoyed at being delayed (due to yesterday’s issue). The tension began to build, but Bobbie never let it phase her. She smiled and was efficient in accomplishing her tasks at hand. It was then that she was forced to ask for volunteers. I gave up my seat to help ease the pain of those passengers who REALLY needed to be on that flight. It also didn’t hurt that the volunteers were given a 300 dollar voucher as well as being booked on a one o’clock flight that same day. That’s when Bobbie REALLY kicked it up a notch.

I arrived back at the gate at about 11:30am. As boarding time grew near, it was obvious we were not leaving on time. My flight had been delayed until 2:15pm and that’s when tempers started to flare. Other passengers were going to miss their connection and they let Bobbie have it! Yet, she never faltered. She was kind, sympathetic, apologetic and professional. She treated her job as though it was HER company. I was amazed. Again, I gave up my seat due to being oversold. To add insult to injury, passengers of a Dallas flight (that were supposed to leave at 1:50pm) had been told they weren’t leaving until 12:30am because of a mechanical issue. How annoyed do you think THEY were? Bobbie’s actions almost seemed effortless. At this point AA did send up some reinforcement gate agents, but as far as I am concerned, Bobbie is the employee who deserves the accolades.

Bobbie, the gate agent at C10 on September 28, 2008, exceeded my expectations in the way she handled a very tough situation. In the short time I had the pleasure of being a fly on the wall, she treated the nine hundred passengers with respect and humility…even the ones that were not very nice to her. The best part of this tale is I bet Bobbie’s outstanding performance is representative of a pattern…I just got to see in action for one day.

Gerard, give her a promotion, a wage increase, extra vacation time or whatever she wants for her unbelievable dedication to American Airlines on September 28, 2008 in Reno, Nevada.

Sincerely,


Erik Hastings
Host-The Travel Show
WABC-NY