January 2009 Newsletter

A New Year is upon us, and we at Montrose Travel welcome it with cautious optimism. We are proud to be your chosen travel partner in an economy that continues to be challenged. Our industry-leading travel tools and experienced travel professionals are dedicated to ensuring that you receive the most for every travel dollar.

A strongly managed travel program is essential in today's turbulent economic and travel climate. We understand that travel budgets will continue to constrict, but Montrose Travel can help you to save money while still allowing you to travel and grow your business. We do much more than book airline tickets! Below are just some of the areas in which we can consult with you to create a streamlined travel program.

A firm travel policy is essential for an efficient
travel program.
Let us fine tune your current policy, or build a strong new policy designed specifically for your organization's unique culture.
Go online. (With us, of course!)
Beyond lower booking fees, studies have repeatedly shown that travelers are more likely to choose more cost effective options when booking online. Regardless of the amount of your travel program, we have an online booking solution that will allow you to save money and maintain visibility and policy compliance.
Review your discounts.
Many discount contracts contain convoluted metrics, requirements and discount levels. We have extensive experience in air, car and hotel negotiations. Let us review your contracts with you to ensure you are truly receiving the best pricing possible.
Know your spend.
Corporate charge card programs allow you to see how and where your travelers are spending your money. We are familiar with the card programs available in today's market and can help you find a solution to fit your company.

Rain, snow, wind and ice cause headaches for travelers and travel industry professionals alike! Automatic flight alerts allow you to stay one step ahead of the nightmare. Montrose Travel is proud to offer comprehensive flight alerts through Flightstats. Flightstats will send automatic updates when there are changes to your itinerary, allowing you to secure the most convenient alternatives. Enroll today to avoid costly and frustrating delays. Contact us to learn how to enroll all your travelers for free!

We discussed above the importance of a tightly managed travel program to keep you competitive in an economic downturn. Once the fundamentals are in place, how do you determine whether they're truly working? Benchmarking is the key to keeping your travel program operating at peak performance. Montrose Travel offers the industry's best benchmarking tools through Travel GPA. Using side-by-side comparisons, you can quickly see how your travel program ranks among other companies world-wide. We will help you to use these results to further maximize your savings and efficiencies. Contact us today for a free demonstration.

Your travelers are very familiar with the rewards they can earn for their time spent in airplanes, hotels and rental cars, but are you aware that your company is entitled to rewards as well? Airline soft dollar programs are designed to reward companies that fly carriers often, but not often enough to be able to negotiate exclusive "point-of-sale" percentage off discounts.

Soft Dollar Programs are based upon performance. Every dollar you spend on an enrolled carrier's program is automatically tracked and reported to you quarterly. As soon as your airfare spending reaches the pre-determined level, your company will be eligible for exciting rewards such as Free Tickets and Free Upgrades. Most airlines offer programs of this nature, as well as a limited number of hotel and car rental companies. Best of all, they're FREE! Contact us to enroll and start earning rewards today!

A difficult economy combined with soft travel bookings have our Vacation and Cruise Supplier slashing prices. At levels that we haven't seen for over 20 years, the deals available today are truly remarkable that deliver real, not smoke and mirror, savings.

Don't wait until the last minute to jump on 50% off airfare, FREE cruise upgrades, onboard credits up to $500, and more. Do yourself and your family a favor and book early. Offers and pricing like this will not last much longer and space is selling out quickly.

NEW – Holland America is now offering reduced deposits and upgrades from as little as $50 per person with their View and Verandah sale
NEW – Up to $500 onboard credit, PLUS up to an additional $200 per stateroom onboard credit for balcony and above staterooms on select 2009 Alaska or Hawaii sailings, just for paying with your American Express
Up to $200 onboard credit, 50% reduced deposit & prepaid gratuities on select Azamara cruises
- Sale extended through Jan 31st
Up to $200 onboard credit and 50% reduced deposit on select Celebrity cruises
- Sale extended through Jan 31st

Save $200 per couple on any 2009 Globus family of brands vacation
50% OFF the second person or Kids stay FREE at All-Inclusive Club Med Resorts
Up to $500 OFF airfare on a variety of Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean, Europe, and South Pacific packages

These deals have limited availability and are moving fast. Our agents are standing by to help you in any way that we can. Call or email us today to secure the best deal in decades for that 2009 Vacation that you so deserve.

Call us today to learn how you can cruise free by organizing a group of 15 or more people. It's easy. It's fun. It's a great way to travel. Call or email our Group Division today, groups@montrosetravel.com or 800-301-9675.

Electronic System for Travel Authorization - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a new requirement for travel to the U.S. as part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

Effective Jan. 12, 2009, all passengers who intend to travel to the United States without a U.S. Visa under the terms of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) must obtain an electronic preauthorization or ESTA prior to boarding a flight to the U.S. For more details on the Visa Waiver Program, a list of VWP eligible countries, and the new ESTA process, please visit the ESTA website at http://www.cbp.gov/ESTA.

Prospective VWP travelers must apply for an ESTA online through the U.S. government website at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov. At this time, the government does not charge for ESTA application or ESTA issuance. Applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel to the U.S., and VWP travelers are encouraged to apply for authorization as soon as they begin to plan a trip to the U.S. and no later than 72 hours before departure.

Only accessible through application at the U.S. government website https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov
Valid for up to two years or until the traveler's passport expires, whichever comes first;
Valid for multiple entries into the U.S.; and
Not a guarantee of admissibility to the U.S. at a port of entry. ESTA approval only authorizes a traveler to board a carrier for travel to the U.S. under the VWP.

Secure Flight - Montrose Travel will soon be required to collect additional information from all travelers in compliance with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's new Secure Flight Rule. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the issuance of the Secure Flight Final Rule, which shifts pre-departure watch list matching responsibilities from individual aircraft operators to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and carries out a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. By bringing watch list matching responsibilities in-house, TSA can better remedy possible misidentifications when a traveler's name is similar to one found on a watch list.

Airlines will be required under Secure Flight to collect a passenger's full name, date of birth, and gender when making an airline reservation. This additional information is expected to prevent most inconveniences at the airport, and will be particularly important for those individuals with names similar to those on the watch list. "Secure Flight will improve security by maintaining the confidentiality of the government's watch list information while fully protecting passengers' privacy and civil liberties," said TSA Administrator Kip Hawley. "Ensuring privacy has been a cornerstone of this program and TSA has developed a comprehensive privacy plan to incorporate privacy laws and practices into all areas of Secure Flight."

TSA will receive limited information for each passenger, as well as for certain non-traveling individuals, such as those escorting a minor or disabled passenger to the gate. TSA will determine if their information matches the No Fly or Selectee lists and will transmit results back to airlines. Data retention for the vast majority of individuals will be no more than seven days.

Secure Flight will be implemented in two phases. The program will initially assume the watch list matching responsibility for passengers on domestic flights from aircraft operators beginning early 2009. In a second stage of implementation, which is targeted to begin in late 2009, the Secure Flight program would assume, from Customs and Border Protection and the international air carriers, the watch list matching function for passengers on international flights.

October 24, 2008 - American Airlines announced that effective for travel beginning January 1, 2009, non-elite status members traveling on flights currently governed by a minimum mileage guarantee will accrue the actual base miles flown or the applicable percentage* of base miles flown, and any associated bonuses will be calculated accordingly. This change applies to travel on American Airlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection®, oneworld® Member Airlines, AAdvantage participating airlines, as well as rail service and codeshare service booked under an AA flight number. In addition, the miles and points accrued toward elite status qualification will also be based on the actual miles earned regardless of the length of the flight. Members will no longer receive a minimum of 500 points for each eligible flight.

In recognition of their elite status membership, AAdvantage Executive Platinum®, AAdvantage Platinum® and AAdvantage Gold® members will continue to earn a minimum mileage guarantee for the base miles flown on applicable routes, as well as any associated elite qualifying miles. Under the minimum mileage guarantee, elite status members may earn a minimum of 500 AAdvantage base miles for every eligible flight**. The miles and points accrued toward elite status qualification will also be based on the actual miles earned (either the base miles or, for elite status members, the minimum mileage guarantee if applicable).

The new policy will apply to non-elite status members traveling on or after January 1, 2009, regardless of when the ticket was booked or purchased. Flights flown on or before December 31, 2008, will continue to accrue AAdvantage miles under the current policy.

October 28, 2008 - Delta and Northwest Airlines merged. With the completion of the merger, Northwest Airlines is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta. Customers should continue to check in and do business directly with the airline operating their flight just as they did before the merger. Delta will continue operation of the airlines' separate websites, www.delta.com and www.nwa.com, as well as the two airlines' reservations systems and loyalty programs. The companies will be integrated through a thoughtful process with customer benefits rolled out over the next 12-24 months.

Please note the reciprocal upgrade is for the elite members only. SkyMiles companions will only be eligible for upgrades on DL coded and Delta operated flights. WorldPerks companions will only be eligible for upgrades on NW coded and NW operated flights.

On October 25, 2008, V/X inventory were being added to some DL coded flights operated by NW. Even though the inventory was seen, the upgrade was not applicable for travel prior October 28.
On and after October 28, SkyMiles and WorldPerks Platinum, Gold and Silver members will receive a complimentary upgrade on applicable DL or NW coded flights which are operated by DL, Delta Connection, DL Shuttle, NW or NW AirLink (Mesaba, Compass, Pinnacle)
Customers on delta.com will be able to add their frequent traveler number for any participating airline program to their new or existing reservation
When a NW elite number is added to the PNR with applicable DL or NW flights, the upgrade will automatically be requested
When a DL elite number is added to the PNR with applicable NW flights, the upgrade will automatically be requested
NW elite status will be printed on the boarding pass

Upgrades booked in G/Z class are only applicable on Delta coded/Delta operated flights.
Area of travel for complimentary Elite upgrade remains: within/between the U.S. (excluding Hawaii) and Canada, Bermuda, Caribbean, Mexico, Central and non BusinessElite markets in South America
When a NW elite number is added to the PNR, the NW Platinum, Gold or Silver status will be shown in the SSR (this became effective in September).
Clearance is based on member status and booking class. If status and paid class are the same, time of request will determine clearance order.
Pending upgrade is automatically added to Airport Standby List
NW Elite Members traveling on NW operated flights must contact or have their travel agent contact NW directly in order to opt-out or decline the upgrade
DL Elite Members traveling on DL operated flights must contact or have their travel agent contact DL directly in order to opt-out or decline the upgrade. DL Elite members can also opt-out via delta.com.

November 7, 2008 - United is offering customers a 20 percent discount on the fee to check a first bag when they pay for it on united.com between Nov. 10, 2008 and Jan. 31, 2009. United has also canceled its previously-announced plans to increase the domestic second bag fee from $25 to $50 one way. The fee to check a second bag on a domestic flight will remain $25 one way.

pay fees for checked baggage, which enables them to use special united.com bag drop areas at select airports;
purchase seating in Economy Plus, which starts at $14 one way, and enjoy up to five extra inches of legroom; and
purchase Award Accelerator, which starts at $9, to earn travel awards faster by multiplying the number of Mileage Plus miles earned on United flights.

November 12, 2008 - Delta announced that the Administrative Service Charge (ASC) for U.S. / Canada domestic non-refundable fares has increased from $100 to $150 for tickets issued on/after November 12, 2008. The increased ASC applies to domestic revenue published fares only, which also includes percentage (%) off published fares.

The administrative service charge (ASC) is a per ticket reissue/exchange/change charge
The fee is applicable for Domestic travel only
ASC for tickets issued:
- Prior to November 12, 2008 will be $100
- Prior to April 1, 2008 will be $75
Percentage off published fares, such Agency Discount (AD) fares, must pay $150 if ticketed on/after November 12, 2008
If Delta is making a change, one ASC is charged each time a ticket is reissued or exchanged, whether all travel is via Delta or combined with other airlines (OAL). If changes are being made, only one charge applies.
If the combination of fare rules indicates multiple ASC's, the most restrictive (higher) of any applicable fare components will be collected

November 14, 2008 - United Airlines charted a new path across the Pacific as the first U.S. carrier to participate in the Asia and South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE), saving 1,564 gallons of fuel and 32,656 pounds of carbon emissions on a single flight, showcasing real savings gained from next-generation technology. United flight 870 from Sydney, Australia made a smooth, continuous descent into San Francisco International Airport at 10:20 a.m. Pacific Time after using 11 fuel saving initiatives from gate-to-gate.

ASPIRE is a multilateral partnership of the Federal Aviation Administration, Airservices Australia, and Airways New Zealand. Data from the flight will be analyzed by the FAA in its ongoing effort to accelerate the development and implementation of operational procedures to reduce the environmental footprint for all phases of flight.

Customers who check in bags that exceed their allowance (23kg/51lbs) will be charged a flat rate of $45USD/25GBP per bag from November 26, 2008.
Charges for CAD and all other currencies will be calculated at the GBP equivalent.
The Extra Bag Charge can only be paid at the airport.
Any bag weighing over 32kgs/70lbs will not be accepted for carriage.
The only exceptions for the Extra Bag Charge will be musical instruments, TV news cameras and commercial spares.
Charges may vary on codeshare, oneworld and alliance partners.

December 8, 2008 - Car rental chain Advantage Rent-A-Car filed for bankruptcy protection and closed about 40% of its U.S. retail locations, citing a decline in the travel industry. The company said it laid off 440 workers, or almost half its workforce. Advantage said it will continue operating at its remaining locations during the bankruptcy, and is exploring strategic alternatives, including a possible sale or merger.

United launched the program at its five hubs and nine additional airports frequented by business travelers. United said it would charge at least $25 per-way for the service, which passengers can pay through online check in, on United's website and "in the coming weeks" at airport kiosks, United said.

The lanes are available at the following airports: Boston, Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York LaGuardia, Newark, Orange County, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington Dulles and Washington National.


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