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Social media excels at relationship building at a very personal level.  To effectively use any of the social media platforms as a vehicle for pulling leads through the sales funnel, it is important to develop a very subtle and deft approach to your conversational skills.  A constant stream of travel offers or direct sales pitches is far too awkward an approach.  Instead, tenor your conversations to being helpful to others and providing information and assistance they need.  In so doing, your expertise will be apparent and you are likely to be in the running for consideration the next time your readers consider travel. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s the monkey on my back. That nagging feeling that creeps its way into my thoughts whenever I’m online. It’s the pressure in my stomach I feel whenever I’m out with friends.

“Why don’t we have a Facebook page yet?” says a colleague.

“Ten Reasons Why Your Company Needs to Have a Blog!” shouts the email.

“Uncle Frank just found a new client on Twitter. Why aren’t you Tweeting?” asks my mom. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m a convert. For months now I have been shaking my head. I didn’t get Twitter. Who wants to know what everyone in the world is doing right now? How about Now? Now? Not me. But during my research for this article I saw the light. I’m not about to say that Twitter would be my first choice for a social marketing platform for every travel agent, but the potential is obvious and for the most ambitious of you, worth a hard look.

Twitter is often referred to as “micro-blogging.” Twitter allows friends, family, and co–workers to communicate through the exchange of short messages. The writer will post a short update, called a “tweet”. Each message must be 140 characters or fewer. URLs can be embedded in a post, and many use http://www.tinyurl.com/ to shorten the length of the URL. Twitter posts the message to your profile and then sends the message to your “Followers”.  Messages can not be edited, but can be deleted. Read the rest of this entry »

United Airlines and Alaska Airlines canceled more than 350 flights on Monday, representing 8% of United’s schedule and 20% of Alaska’s, as the FAA grounded 171 Boeing 737 Max 9s airplanes following an incident on Friday.

Alaska Airlines said passengers whose flights are canceled will be moved to the next available flight, or can request a change or a refund without incurring fees under a flexible travel policy. United said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that it is working with customers to find other travel options.

A door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines flight in midair, leaving a gaping hole and howling winds that caused the plane to depressurize, forcing the plane to return to Portland, Oregon, minutes after takeoff.

Two seats were destroyed on the aircraft—but they were unoccupied. And because the accident occurred right after take-off, everyone was wearing seatbelts (though some expressed concern over babies being held by their mothers instead of being placed in car seats). None of the 171 passengers and six crew members aboard was seriously injured.

Investigators are looking into how the door plug—a panel where an optional emergency exit can be placed if passenger capacity is high—was fastened before it blew out of the plane. The door plug has been located in the backyard of a teacher in Portland, Oregon, but the plane’s cockpit voice recorder was inadvertently taped over.

Another version of the Max, a 737 Max 8, was involved in two crashes that killed hundreds of people in 2018 and 2019. And last month, Boeing urged its customers to inspect more than 1,300 Max planes for possible loose bolts in the rudder-control system.

Boeing stock fell 9% in early trading on Monday. In a research report, Morningstar said that while the impact would not be material, “the dramatic nature of the flaw will have the effect of once again calling Boeing’s product governance into question by customers, regulators and the flying public.”

Want to stand out in the competitive travel industry? It’s time to master your marketing strategy. In today’s digital age, a well-rounded approach that combines online and offline tactics is essential. You must think like an octopus and wrap your travel tentacles around your clients. Let’s dive into the key strategies that will help your travel agency thrive. Read the rest of this entry »

Following the positive response to AmaWaterways’ inaugural Soulful Experience in France this summer, the luxury river cruise line announced a new addition to the 2024 lineup of Soulful Experience river cruise and land packages celebrating Black history and culture along the rivers. Sailing though Portugal from November 13 to 23, 2024, the 10-nightEnticing DouroSoulful Experience encompasses a three-night pre-cruise land package in Lisbon before embarking on AmaDouro in Porto for a seven-night river cruise along the picturesque Douro River Read the rest of this entry »

In an era dominated by social media, it’s tempting to funnel all your digital marketing efforts into platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter (or X or whatever Elon is calling it now). While these platforms undoubtedly offer a vast reach and engagement potential, a recent incident highlights the inherent dangers of relying solely on social media for your online presence. A cautionary tale is the unfortunate experience of a photographer who, after seven years of hard work, saw their business obliterated by Facebook scammers. Read the rest of this entry »

Award-winning luxury river cruise line AmaWaterways today announced details on a series of new combination cruises in Europe debuting in 2025, appealing to travelers’ desire for longer trips. The new “Grand” series of 14-night itineraries, including Grand Seine & Bordeaux, Grand Seine & Rhône and Grand Rhine & Dutch Canals, are attractively priced and include convenient transfers between rivers where applicable. By combining two popular 7-night sailings into one convenient itinerary, these three curated extended journeys invite travelers to immerse themselves in Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a new niche in the travel industry and its name is Taylor Swift, it seems.

With her concerts selling out at exorbitant prices in the United States, some Swifties are looking to the pop star’s European tour schedule—and reaching out to travel advisors to book them a trip around their ticket dates. Better still, budget seems to be only a minor issue.

“This whole concept of parents taking their teenagers to Taylor Swift concerts is an opportunity for travel advisors,” Read the rest of this entry »

Few events have generated as much hype and controversy as the introduction of ChatGPT last October. When its developer, Open AI, provided open access to the generative AI program, the site set a record for the fastest growing user base in history. It grew to 100 million users in two months. At the same time, it generated a tsunami of wild speculation and panic.

It would be bad enough that artificial intelligence is predicted by some to take over the jobs of travel professionals and virtually everyone else. But since the arrival of ChatGPT, many of the pioneer developers of artificial intelligence have issued ominous warnings that AI may lead to Read the rest of this entry »

It has been said you need to spend a buck to make one. And that is true. However, you don’t need to break the bank to do it.

Travel agents are responsible for providing clients with the best possible travel experiences—but how can they cost-effectively do this? In today’s digital age, there are many ways to enhance marketing capabilities without spending much money. Here are five tips to get you started: Read the rest of this entry »

With ownership comes power. When you own your home, you can decide on the color of the exterior. When you own your own car, you put any bumper sticker you feel fits. When you own your own travel business, you can make decisions about what to sell and to whom. So why on earth would you opt to allow someone else to make the decisions about your online presence? Read the rest of this entry »

In a previous life, when Sue Peyer was director of quality for Cox Communications, part of her job was to monitor customer service calls. The company used Israeli software that turned the dialogue into text, so she could read the transcribed conversations in a Word document.

When ChatGPT came out, Peyer was curious to see how the technology had advanced and how this latest development in artificial intelligence (AI) could help her run her travel agency.

Hashtags are an essential, but sometimes misunderstood, tool for growing an Instagram following as they allow users to discover new content and increase the visibility of their own posts. Hashtags work by categorizing posts under specific topics, making them more discoverable to users interested in those topics. Instagram creators use hashtags to track trends and enhance search. Simply speaking, hashtags are words or phrases about a specific topic, with a hash (#) before it, e.g. #traveltuesday. Read the rest of this entry »

Dangerous mountain travel conditions in the Sierra Nevada range are forecast through this weekend, leading to treacherous journeys and hazardous whiteout conditions. With blowing winds and heavy snow likely to affect roads, highways, and mountain passes throughout the region, travelers are advised to finish their travel plans by 1 pm Friday.

The National Weather Service has issued an advisory warning that dangerous conditions prevalent in the Lake Tahoe high country should be taken seriously. The combination of gusty winds and snowfall could reduce visibility at times. This could create near-zero visibility or “whiteout” conditions with limited visibility due to snow drifts or heavy snowfall. These conditions could cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles and put them in hazardous situations.

Additionally, the NWS is expecting significant accumulations of snow above 7,000 ft., with up to 2 feet possible at some locations by Tuesday morning. Many roads may become impassable as a result of deep snowdrifts obscured by falling snow. This will increase the risk for vehicles attempting to traverse these routes Monday night into Tuesday morning. These include Interstate 80 from Donner Lake down to Truckee, along with Highways 89 & 267 over Brockway Summit from Truckee down toward Tahoe City. Additionally, travel is highly discouraged on Highway 88 around Carson Pass as well as Highway 108 heading over Sonora Pass into Mono County through Monday night..

The NWS also warns those heading out on skis or other recreational activities that avalanche danger could become significant in areas where several inches of new precipitation falls quickly over existing large accumulations of snowpack already present on mountain slopes higher than 7500 ft. Heavy winds also impact avalanche danger and can create areas where collapses are more likely due to increased loading on cornices or slabs of weakly-bonded wind-drifted powder near ridge tops.

Snowfall rates could be quite intense late Sunday afternoon onward through Monday afternoon. Travel plans involving mountain passes or ski resort destinations in the Sierra Nevada range involve dangerous traveling conditions prevailing through Monday night into Tuesday morning.

⚠️Dangerous mountain travel conditions are forecast tomorrow – Monday. If you have travel plans, it will be best to finish your travel by 1 pm tomorrow. Travel is HIGHLY DISCOURAGED through Monday night! Blowing winds & heavy snow will cause whiteout conditions. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/hPn5lfIHDX

— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) January 12, 2023

On Wednesday, Canada experienced a brief disruption to its aviation warning system, the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system. This system is operated by Nav Canada – a private non-profit organization that owns and operates the country’s air traffic control – and alerts airlines and pilots of potential hazards in the sky. The United States experienced a similar disruption at the same time. The connection, if any, between the two incidents is not clear.

Nav Canada began experiencing problems with entering data into the NOTAM system in the morning hours, which prevented them from sending out updates to airlines regarding any current or upcoming threats. As a result, many flights were grounded until the issue was resolved. Once back online, those affected needed to wait for updated information before they could take off again.

The NOTAM system provides crucial guidance on navigating hazardous airspace and allows for greater efficiency in planning flights since pilots can easily access information about potential risks ahead of time.

Nav Canada indicated no flights were delayed by the disruption and the system was back online by the early afternoon.

pic.twitter.com/xLCZ0CVwvz

— NAV CANADA (@navcanada) January 11, 2023

NAV CANADA continues to investigate the cause of the outage; at this time, we do not believe it to be related to the FAA outage experienced earlier today. https://t.co/GnxLSFLU38

— NAV CANADA (@navcanada) January 11, 2023

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded all flights in the U.S. following a computer system glitch. The Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system, which provides operational information to flight operations, “failed” Wednesday morning. Systems are being restored. However, once fully operational, there will be delays as flights resume and metered into the air.

4,000 Flight Delays and 500 Cancelations at this time.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

The President has been briefed by the Secretary of Transportation this morning on the FAA system outage. There is no evidence of a cyberattack at this point, but the President directed DOT to conduct a full investigation into the causes. The FAA will provide regular updates.

— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) January 11, 2023

Update 5: Normal air traffic operations are resuming gradually across the U.S. following an overnight outage to the Notice to Air Missions system that provides safety info to flight crews. The ground stop has been lifted.

We continue to look into the cause of the initial problem

— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 11, 2023

Update 4: The FAA is making progress in restoring its Notice to Air Missions system following an overnight outage. Departures are resuming at @EWRairport and @ATLairport due to air traffic congestion in those areas. We expect departures to resume at other airports at 9 a.m. ET.

— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 11, 2023

Update 3: The FAA is still working to fully restore the Notice to Air Missions system following an outage.⁰⁰The FAA has ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures until 9 a.m. Eastern Time to allow the agency to validate the integrity of flight and safety information.

— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 11, 2023

While some functions are beginning to come back on line, National Airspace System operations remain limited.

The winter season brought chaos to airports across the United States as Southwest Airlines canceled thousands of flights at the last minute, leaving hundreds of thousands of travelers stuck in limbo. Many passengers were left with no way to get to their destination or any knowledge of where their luggage may be.

What a mess. This is the Southwest Airlines baggage claim at Tampa International. There’s 24 more Southwest flights canceled this morning. Many tags on these stranded bags are from travelers from Denver, Houston and Baltimore ⁦@BN9⁩ pic.twitter.com/4C6XFA9eib

— Angie Angers (@angie_angers) December 27, 2022

Southwest passengers can file lost luggage claims here: https://www.southwest.com/help/baggage/lost-damaged-baggage

This travel season was expected to be one of the busiest since before the pandemic, and airlines had already been preparing for higher traffic. But when treacherous winter storms hit, all major airlines had no choice but to cancel or delay flights due to safety concerns. Then, the Southwest “meltdown” compounded the situation.

The process is slow going, with thousands of bags still unaccounted for across multiple airports. While there are some suggestions from experts on how travelers can keep track of their belongings while traveling during bad weather, most customers have found themselves in limbo while they wait for Southwest’s customer service centers to help them out.

In response, Southwest Airlines has issued a statement apologizing for any inconvenience caused and assuring customers that they are doing everything they can do help get luggage returned quickly and safely. They’ve also created a dedicated team of workers assigned solely to helping these lost luggage cases. In addition, many airport personnel have stepped up to provide additional assistance.

We’ve let our Customers and Employees down, and we pledge to do everything we can to make it right. If you still need assistance rearranging your travel, getting a refund, or tracking down your luggage, please visit https://t.co/II3YgdPy7J. pic.twitter.com/64Fdt8jJPn

— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) December 29, 2022

In countdown to its 10-year anniversary this December, full-service luxury villa companyRental Escapes today announced a special offer providing travelers with the opportunity to receive a credit of up to $2,500 for experiences or services booked through the company’s concierge team. The promotion will be applied to any new bookings made throughout the month of November 2022 with a check-in date occurring before December 31, 2023.

“As we approach the end of the year, many travelers are getting a head start on planning and booking their ideal villa stays for 2023,” said Willie Fernandez, chief marketing officer of Rental Escapes. “With this concierge credit offer, our personal concierge team is excited to work with our guests to assist with all of their needs and ensure it’s one of their most memorable trips of all time.”

Upon booking a luxury villa rental with Rental Escapes, every guest is appointed their own personal concierge team who can help manage various aspects of their trip. The personal concierge provides guests with exclusive access to a wide range of unique services and activities to truly customize each stay and provide an elevated vacation experience. From arranging a private yacht charter to a secluded beach or having a private villa chef for an intimate oceanfront dinner, the personal concierge is able to organize any additional amenities that the guest desires.

For more information on Rental Escapes, visit RentalEscapes.com. Stay up-to-date on the latest news by following Rental Escapes on Facebook Facebook.com/RentalEscapes, Instagram@RentalEscapes, Twitter @RentalEscapes and LinkedIn.

Four Seasons this week offered up details on what it says will be the roomiest—and costliest—cruise ship on the sea. And while some travel advisors said the price point likely will be too high for their customers, others are ready to hear more details and then go right out and sell it. Read the rest of this entry »

Rental Escapes, a full-service luxury villa company specializing in providing unparalleled private villa rentals worldwide, today announced the launch of a new series of bonus commission rewards for travel advisors. In anticipation of the company’s 10-year anniversary taking place in December, Rental Escapes will offer a new travel advisor promotion each month, commending the important role that the constant support and dedication of travel advisors have played throughout its history.

This September, travel advisors can now take advantage of a bonus commission of up to $2,500 on every booking made throughout the month. The commission is valid on bookings made through the end of September for stays between October 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023. Bonus commissions will be paid out and included with the travel advisor commission check upon the guest’s departure.

“Travel advisors remain our most valued partners, and we feel it is important to express our gratitude with a series of celebratory offerings designed to benefit these advisors,” says Willie Fernandez, chief marketing officer of Rental Escapes. “Over the next four months, we will introduce new, month-long offerings that travel advisors can take advantage of to convey our immense appreciation for their support.”

After 10 years in the business, Rental Escapes has continued to prioritize its partnerships with the travel advisor community, evidenced through its various tools to help advisors grow their business, as well as their absence of booking fees. In addition, advisors have the ideal opportunity to work alongside Rental Escapes’ dedicated villa specialists and concierge team to provide around-the-clock care for guests. Rental Escapes even offers the opportunity for advisors to earn commission on customized concierge packages when working with the concierge team. When banded together, advisors and Rental Escapes are able to deliver unparalleled support to guests, ensuring the ultimate vacation.

“Over the last 10 years, we have rapidly expanded our unforgettable product offerings, our first-in-class team, and our network of loyal travel advisors who have played an essential role in our business,” says Brian Schwimmer, chief executive officer of Rental Escapes. “When creating Rental Escapes, we sought to establish a customer-centric culture, where exceeding travelers’ expectations is the goal. This philosophy has helped forge our relationship with advisors and made Rental Escapes one of the leading luxury villa rental companies in the world today.”

For more information on Rental Escapes, visit RentalEscapes.com. Stay up-to-date on the latest news by following Rental Escapes on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.