AirOptions Blog

Business travelers are increasingly turning overnight work trips into one long day of travel to save money as well as time. Some travelers are even taking the one-day jaunts on trans-Atlantic trips. Richard Job of the Flight Centre, said he’s talked to executives who fly from Vancouver, B.C., to London and back in the same day. “That’s something new to them in the last six to 12 months,” Job said. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (11/4)

The Phoenix police have discovered a stash of nearly 1,000 stolen bags in a home about 35 miles from Sky Harbor International Airport. Detectives searched the home after airport surveillance cameras showed Keith King removing bags from the luggage-claim area, just weeks after he was issued a misdemeanor citation for the same crime. Though Sky Harbor officials say baggage theft is “a rare occurrence,” they will consider reinstating routine bag checks that were suspended several years ago in a cost-cutting move. Airoptions suggests that you immediately to to the baggage carousel after deboarding your flight. More about this: The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (11/4)

Corporate aviation has been hit particularly hard by the economic downturn. But the charter field may do relatively well, according to industry insider Gus Lira Vice President of Jetoptions, as business jet travelers seek less costly alternatives to fractional jet shares and ownership of whole aircraft. If you or your company are among those taking a fresh look at charter, it’s time to consider how to find the best provider for your needs from the more than 2,500 in operation.The first step is to understand your mission and what it requires. This is vital because charter operators employ more than 300 makes and models of business aircraft, each with a different purpose, according to the National Business Aviation Association’s Aircraft Charter Consumer Guide (available at www.nbaa.org).

Questions you should ask yourself before speaking with an operator include: What are the origin and destination points for my flight? Is my travel domestic or international? How many people will be traveling? Do I need an on-board lavatory, sleeping quarters, a telephone or services such as catering?

Answering these questions will help you narrow the choice of operators. One that specializes in large-cabin business jets would not be the best choice if you need to travel only 500 miles, for example.

Airoptions has learned that online charter broker Virgin Charter has stopped “active operations” according to a company statement. “With the severe decline in corporate travel, Virgin Charter was unable to generate sufficient sales to underpin its business plan and has taken the difficult decision to close its doors.

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin USA launched Virgin Charter in mid-2007, with a focus on allowing charter users to make all arrangements via Virgin’s Web site. Virgin’s business model was to charge charter operators a fee based on percentage of sales to participate, but the buyer of the flight did not pay to use Virgin Charter.

There were signs a few months ago that problems were surfacing at Virgin Charter, when president and CEO Scott Duffy sent an e-mail announcing he was leaving to pursue new opportunities. “If anyone could have made online private jet charter successful, Virgin’s reputation and brand-name recognition should have made them successful,” said Gus Lira, vice president of jet charter broker Jeoptions.net (www.jetoptions.net).

Airioptions recently attended the Medical Tourism Conference, which was recently held in Los Angeles. It attracted a broad range of players, including representatives of airlines, hospitals and destination management companies and doctors, insurance brokers and travel agentcies such as AirOptions. Medical tourism is focused on patients seeking treatment abroad, offering significant opportunities for travel agents. “We are marrying two of the largest industries in the world, and there has not been a lot of interaction between them until recently,” said Dan Cormany, a medical tourism marketing doctoral candidate at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Read more about it here Travel Agent (10/29)

In airline new followed by AirOptions we see that USAirways will be cutting up to 1000 jobs next year. They will also be cutting their least profitable international routes. AP says the carrier is suspending flights between Philadelphia and London Gatwick; Birmingham, England; Milan, Italy; Shannon, Ireland; and Stockholm.

Airoptions has learned that the Department of Transportation said it will not make its original Oct. 31 deadline for ruling on a proposed alliance between British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia, the Spanish airline. The delay is a result of differences between the DOT and the Department of Justice, as well as other issues. The delay could push the final ruling into 2010, sources said. The Wall Street Journal (10/27)

AirOptions has learned that Tourism officials from China recently met with their counterparts from the U.S. in Orlando, Fla., to discuss ways to increase travel between the two nations. The leaders signed a memorandum of understanding that includes cooperation in tourism initiatives. Last year, almost 500,000 Chinese citizens visited the U.S. and that figure has much room for growth, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Read more about it here: Travel Agent (10/26)

As AirOptions reported before, Continental Airlines abandoned merger negotiations with United Airlines about a year and a half ago. A deal would have created the largest air carrier in the world. Instead, Continental is joining the Star Alliance, which includes United and 23 other carriers. Continental’s migration from SkyTeam alliance to the Star Alliance is the most significant switch since airline alliances started being formed more than 10 years ago. Read more about it here: The Wall Street Journal (10/26)

AirOptions has received a travel alert for the State Department. It said the political and security situation in Honduras is unstable, prompting a recommendation that all U.S. citizens defer nonessential travel to the country. Political demonstrations have been taking place around Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula and Roatan, and they are expected to continue. Read the official Travel Alert for Honduras.