Virgin Trains Top Service Surveys for 3rd Year Straight

For the past few years, Virgin has been providing the people of England with outstanding service on their railways. Now, through the independent research studies conducted by the railway review company Passenger Focus, their clientele are returning the favor.

Virgin Trains were voted best in class for the 6^th consecutive time in the bi-annual Passenger Focus survey, proving three years of industry domination. Virgin’s survey results yield extremely high score averages and Passenger Focus has reported an average of 91% of passengers marking “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with Virgin’s service since the beginning of the survey in 1999.

Virgin Trains have been on the up and up over the past 6 years, having doubled their number of passengers, now serving 30 million people per year. Tony Collins, CEO of Virgin Trains, applauds Virgin employees and explains that the business model is simple – “fast and frequent trains and excellent customer service”.  Collins also stressed the importance of this summer’s Olympic Games in London, which sets a stage for Virgin to showcase their world class transportation services to millions of travelers from all over the world.

Collins believes Virgin is ready for the challenge.

In addition to good customer service, the Passenger Focus survey also ranked Virgin the highest scoring railway service in personal security, spaciousness, ease of entry and exit, speed of journey, and connections with other trains.

Michael Patton has had the pleasure of experiencing Virgin Train’s service first-hand.  The POTHOS CEO agrees with Passenger Focus’ assessment of Virgin’s superb customer service and cites cutting edge technology and the progressive business plan of the company that allow for such a cool and modern travel experience. 

How to Enjoy California When Gas Prices Hit $3/Gallon

It appears that we will have a return to normalcy with gas prices, boasting comparable prices to other states in the country. With prices falling under 80 dollars a barrel, consumers can expect to enjoy a relief from huge gas prices with prices falling to $3 a gallon by autumn and possibly even lower by Thanksgiving.

Prices have been falling for 11 weeks and are predicted to continue to fall after the peak driving season during the summer months. Struggling wholesale contracts combined with a lack in demand will result in manageable gas prices for Californians, which hopefully signify a ray of light shimmering through the haze that is the faltering economy.

Economists are also hoping the falling gas prices will encourage more travel, pushing money back into the economy through the use of California State Parks and other in-state amenities.

Michael Patton, CEO of POTHOS, is one of the 120,000 members affiliated with California State Parks, and encourages travelers to savor the sunken gas prices and get out and enjoy our beautiful home state.

POTHOS offers full travel agency services for any travel bookings that would be needed to get you out of the house and enjoying the great outdoors!

Air France Plans to Cut 5,100 Jobs By Decemeber 2013

 Air France, in hopes of returning to era of break-even profit margins, have undertaken in an investment involving a multi-million dollar refurbishment of cabin facilities on the airlines with a focus on the premium classes.

The massive financial business project will require “restructuring” on short- and medium-haul operations for Air France. The carrier plans to complete the job cuts by December of 2013 and has claimed to only use “forced departures” as a last resort, and rely heavily on voluntary retirements.

Air France claims that talks with ground staff, cabin crew and pilot unions are already underway.

The enormous size of the cutback and the idea that over 5,000 jobs can be lost and the airline can continue to operate raises a litany of questions for the carrier’s human relations and task management divisions. 

Michael Patton, CEO of POTHOS, asks “How can businesses (airlines) continue to cut people? At what point do you not have any staff anymore? How can a business staff so far excessively? Were those people doing any work? How can that work be absorbed?”

The recovery plan was introduced in January and further announcements can be expected over the coming months.

USA’s Biggest Hotel Chains Considering Pulling Free WiFi

Massive usage in internet bandwidth is leading some of the biggest hotels in the US to ponder whether they should keep offering completely free WiFi.

Currently, all hotels are still offering WiFi, but many large hotel chains like Marriott International and Carlson Hotels are now giving guests a choice of an upgraded connection that offers faster speeds and more bandwidth, for an additional cost, of course.

The demand is growing out of control with free internet access being the most highly requested amenity offered during a hotel stay. With the increase smart phone and laptop presence for travelers, hotels are seeing bandwidth demand rise.  Dave Garrison, the CEO of iBahn, references data acquired in the months of March 2011 to December 2011, saying they have seen a 50% increase in data usage from hotel internet connections.

The increase of bandwidth usage increases the costs for the hotel to provide smooth internet service. Hotels have been beefing up their connections, and with the additional costs on their end, they are open to the idea of offering different speeds of internet with different cost brackets.

IBahn recently stated that 40% of their guests have 2 different WiFi devices, while a 1 in 4 of their guests are carrying 3 or more.

This battle for bandwidth could spell additional fees for travelers.

Michael Patton, CEO of POTHOS, believes this is the wrong decision to make. "When more than 70% of travelers saying internet is the single most important service offering. Just like TV, this service should be for free as it is a business and life requirement for us to stay connected." 

JAL Requests to Reduce Fuel Surcharges for International Fares

As you could imagine, it is a very uncommon maneuver for carriers to reduce charges to save international travels money. However, Japan Airlines (JAL) appears to be doing just that.

JAL has sent a formal request to the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and tourism (MLIT) for approval. If passed, fuel charges will be lowered on all JAL flights, domestic & international passenger flights that were ticketed between the 1^st of August and 30^th of September, 2012.

The surcharge levels are based off of the Singapore kerosene-type jet fuel, and are applied bimonthly based on the average price per barrel. North American travelers can expect ticket prices to be effected by up to $265 per round-trip. Surcharges will be reassessed at the next bimonthly period. 

AirAsia Discussing Use of Travel Consultants in Burgeoning Markets

The highly successful B2C sales model may be slightly altered by AirAsia with the emergence of travel consultants in the airline’s distribution network. The agents will be mainly focused in smaller markets like the Philippines and Indonesia.

“(Travel consultants) are a very important growth (channel) for AirAsia. They should not consider us as the enemy” said Tony Fernandes, AirAsia group CEO.

They plan to increase cooperation with travel trade and will be making announcements in the coming months. They are also discussing the introduction of a new structure of commission based business for travel consultants.

AirAsia’s home country of Malaysia remains perfectly satisfied with the current state of distribution, which shows 95% of the country’s business comes solely from AirAsia’s website.

“I wonder when all airlines will realize that travel agents are their external sales force;” says Michael Patton, CEO of POTHOS, “servicing their customers, driving business and deserve the commission compensation that was taken from us so long ago.”

Major Airlines Increase Passenger Flights on Regional Partners, Confuse and Frustrate Fliers

 With the vast emptiness of the sky, it seems almost impossible to imagine that traffic jams and overcrowding can exist in the same way that it does on the ground in the busiest of American metropolitan areas. However, increases in flights with regional airline companies are doing just that – clogging everything up.

USA today researched that about 53 percent of all commercial airline flights in the United States are flown by regional carriers. This is a result of major airline companies establishing affiliations with smaller regional airlines and allowing flyers who book with major airlines to have their tickets be passed down to regional carriers.

Besides the deception that comes with thinking that you’re going to be flying with a major airline when you’re really flying with a company you’ve never heard of, what’s the problem? They’re affiliated with the majors, so isn’t it the same thing?

Not exactly.

As far as safety standards are concerned, the United States boasts a strong air travel safety record. There is a disparity, however, in the flight safety records between “major” airlines and regional aircraft. While there hasn’t been a fatal “major” airline accident in the United States since 2001, there have been 5 different regional airline accidents operating in affiliation with major airline companies since then, leading to 135 deaths.

In addition to general flight safety, being passed off to a regional aircraft has other small, but annoying setbacks. Cabins are generally smaller, leading smaller and more cramped seating arrangements.

You’d be happy to deal with the uncomfortable seats if the regional airline even takes off in the first place. Regional flights ranked last in amount of cancelled flights and involuntary bumping of passengers. Regional carriers also had the most mishandled baggage, adding to an already poor reputation.

Smaller regional carriers began as a way to fly to more rural areas, but now every morning regional airlines fly 30 to 35 nonstop flights between New York and Washington, DC, creating overcrowding on the airfield, in the air, and at check in stations for passengers.

Even frequent fliers are finding themselves getting duped by major airlines into thinking they’re flying with one carrier when they’re really on another. The best way to be sure a flight is with a reputable major airline is to find out explicitly what airline is operating the flight, because booking with a major doesn’t necessarily mean you’re flying with a major. 

Michael Patton, CEO of POTHOS, had this to say on the quality of service from regional carrier SkyWest and Republic Airlines:

"It is from personal experience that I can tell you SkyWest (United's regional carrier from San Diego to LAX) cares absolutely NOTHING for its passengers. The Skywest staff will lie when it is to their advantage and they have no honor. I do realize the significance of this broad generalization, but over the last 8 years, I can tell you this to be absolutely the rule, not the exception from this personal experience. Republic airlines, on the other hand, does an exceptional job."

If you are booking your flights with a travel agency such as POTHOS, we always list explicitly on the itinerary the name of the actual carrier.

United Airlines Raises Bag Checking Fee on Transatlantic Flights; Luggage Concierge offers alternatives

United has followed a recent precedent set by Delta Airlines by increasing their bag checking fee from $70 to $100 on most transatlantic flights. Delta recently raised prices from $75 to $100 dollars according to Wolfe Trahan analyst Hunter Keay. Keay highlighted the fact that the hike-ups in bag checking prices were coming “despite falling fuel prices”.

Does this leave a frequent flier with any other options?

In an effort to accommodate travelers with concerns for increases in luggage prices, companies have sprung up offering private alternatives. One example of a private luggage delivery service is Luggage Concierge.

(http://www.luggageconcierge.com)

Luggage Concierge is looking to attract customers that are tired of paying up-charges on their luggage, especially for abnormally shaped luggage like golf clubs.

Luggage Concierge coordinates a luggage pickup from a set location and privately moves your belongings to and from the location of your choice without the use of an airline, allowing you to board your flight luggage free. 

Luggage Concierge offers a set of different insurance policy varying on the type of flight and boasts price rates competitive to those of most airline companies.

The cost is approximately $87 to $140 for a 75lb bag, 3 day domestic service, $85 for a golf bag, $454 for international flights. 

Tibet Bans Entry of Foreigners

After a festival that ended with two Tibetans setting themselves on fire, authorities in China have banned foreigners from entering Tibet.

“We received the notice from the local tourism authority around five days ago, so it is impossible for us to obtain the Tibet Travel Permit for foreigners. We have no idea when we can resume business again,” a spokesperson from Tibet China International Tour service said.

However, He Shengkang, the general manager of the China International Travel Services Integrated Management Department, stated that he hasn’t received any notice of the sort.

Another CITS employee explained that foreigners can still register for tours of Tibet, but in order to qualify, the group must contain more than 5 people of the same nationality.

The two who set themselves on fire in protests against Chinese rule are the 37^th and 38^th estimated cases of self-immolation since February 2009. 

US Tourists Harassed and Denied Entry by Israeli Security

There have been three different reports of US citizens being interrogated by the Israeli Shin Bet security last May, saying that the Israeli security demanded passwords of person email accounts for anyone with an Arab name.

Najwa Doughman, an American of Arab descent, was visiting Israel for the third time in her life. After she landed with in Israel for a 10 day tour with a friend, she was interrogated with questions along the these lines:

“Do you feel more Arab or more American?”

The interrogator offered her own answer “Surely, you feel a little more Arab”

The interrogator then proceeded to ask Najwa why she was visiting Israel of all places, instead of Mexico, Canada, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. She was then asked to log into her personal Gmail account, where security read through every email and looked for key words like “West Bank”, “Israel”, “Palestine”, and “International Solidarity Movement”. The security guard then recorded many different names and contacts from Najwa’s Gmail address book.

After 5 hours of questioning, the two American travelers were forced to wait another 3 hours. After the 8 hour ordeal, they were informed that they would not be granted entry into Israel, and they would have all of their luggage searched and their photographs taken.

The two Americans were also given full body searches.

The two spent the night in a detention facility and were flown out via France 14 hours after landing in Israel.

There have been two other similar reports where Americans of Arab descent were denied entry into Israel after hours of interrogation and searching. The Shin Bet have released a statement saying that the precautionary measures taken by the security guards , under Israel law, are within their authority. 

It seems that there is a growing sentiment that Israel’s mis-treatment of Palestinian’s is rolling into a mandate to all people of Arab descent.

Michael Patton, POTHOS CEO comments; It would be wise to remember Ben Franklin’s sage advice “Those who would sacrifice Freedom for Security deserve neither”.

Fines and Penalties Mark the End of Overbooking and Non-Refundable Flights for Philippine Carriers

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in the Philippines has set new rules for all domestic flights in hopes of ending overbooking and the use of “no refunds, no rebooking” policies. As of June 15^th, any flight that is overbooked will be slapped with a fine of PHP5,000 (about $115 USD)  multiplied by however many passengers were not granted boarding or bumped off the flight.

Also, starting June 5^th, the new regulations also entitle domestic passengers PHP3,000 ($69 USD) and international passengers PHP5,000 in compensation.

Philippine carriers are concerned to how greatly these new policies will affect their business strategy. The new regulations allow passengers to rebook flights within one year of issue, and AirAsia CEO Marianne Hontiveros is worried that it will require a revamp of their entire business model:

 “If passengers can refund and rebook at any time, we’re going to have to make allowances for that, which means we have to build it into our pricing structure, and that kills the whole low-cost concept.”

Philippine carriers do not have much time to make adjustments as the new overbooking policy is to go into effect in only 10 days.  

Two African Airlines Crash in One Weekend, Pose Worry for Frequent Fliers

The use of outdated aircraft and safety regulations proves to be tragic yet again this past weekend in two different locations in Africa. The Allied Air B727 crashed when it collided with ground vehicles during a landing attempt in Ghana that killed almost a dozen people. The airborne disasters in Africa continued later in the weekend when Dana Air’s MD 80 crashed as the plane hit a building in Lagos, killing all 147 people on board.

Is it the Stone-Age flying equipment or faulty operating procedures that are causing these tragedies? The causes of both accidents have yet to be determined, but regardless, any reputation of flight safety in Africa has surely been tarnished.

Africa has the worst flight record of any ICAO region. This should spark more concern and attention not only from frequent fliers but the rest of the airline community in hopes of taking strides towards making flying in Africa safer from flying equipment to training and operation protocols.

Michael Patton, CEO of POTHOS, urges flyers to stay with “known” carriers, as their safety and maintenance records will not be questionable.