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DOI Travel Newsletter
Volume 2 Issue 3
August 2002
 

Data Sources for DOI Travel Newsletter:

Much of the travel industry information contained in this newsletter was obtained from public domain sources such as newspapers and the Internet, and was current at the time of publication. Travel industry information is provided solely for the use and information of DOI employees.

IN THE NEWS

Possible Flight Adjustments on or about September 11, 2002

If you are planning to be in travel status on or about September 11, 2002, please keep in mind that major U.S. carriers have announced that flight schedules may be adjusted because of weak advance bookings.

• Delta Air Lines plans to cancel flights where there are few reservations between September 9 and 13. They will accommodate affected customers in any way they can.

• American Airlines will also make adjustments, but indicated that there would be “plenty of capacity” for individuals in travel status.

• United Airlines has announced that it would make “small reductions” on domestic routes.

Lower Cost Upgrade to First Class

Delta Air Lines recently joined America West in allowing fliers to upgrade their tickets to first class for an additional $40 to $80 per flight. On domestic flights where gate agents expect empty first-class seats to be available at departure time, they will accept standby requests for upgrades to the first class cabin. DOI travelers are advised that the lowest cost fares (U or L fare classes), as well as SkyMiles award tickets, are not eligible for the upgrades. If you wish to upgrade your official airline ticket at the gate, you must pay for the upgrade on your personal charge card.

Single-Stop Check-ins with Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines has started the gradual retirement of its reusable plastic boarding card in favor of an automated system that issues a paper boarding card at more locations within the airport. Expanding Customer check-in to three convenient locations within the airport should substantially reduce current waiting times for Southwest travelers.
 

P A G E 2

D O I T R A V E L N E W S L E T T E R

DOI TRAVELER INFORMATION

DOT, FAA, TSA -- What Role Does Each Play in the Travel Arena?

The Department of Transportation (DOT) oversees consumer issues such as denied boarding, lost baggage, overbooking, ticketing, as well as statistics on on-time performance. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for civil aviation safety, including developing safety regulations, and certifying pilots and aircraft. The FAA operates the nation's air traffic control system and through the World Wide Web provides real-time flight delay information. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for security for all modes of transportation.

Federal Premier Lodging Program

The General Services Administration is expanding the Federal Premier Lodging Program to 75 of the most traveled to locations in CONUS. The cost of lodging at the FPLP facilities is always at or below per diem for the location. The program is well underway with contracts in force at several locations, including Boston, Denver, New York City, and Seattle. The hotels under contract are identified on GSA’s website under each per diem location
(http://policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/homepage/mtt/perdiem/perd02d.html) or go the listing of hotels at per diem list and search for the city (http://www.hotelsatperdiem.com/).

eTravel is Coming Soon!

A new web-based, end-to-end travel initiative, eTravel, is in the works. eTravel will automate and consolidate the travel process through self-service. When complete, eTravel will allow travelers to plan, obtain travel authorizations, make reservations and complete a voucher. It will put an end to the paper trail, and save the Government time and money.

OMB has cautioned agencies against investing in new travel system initiatives that may not be compatible with the end-to-end solution in the eTravel effort.

Paper Chase: United Airlines to Eliminate Paper Tickets

United Airlines is phasing out paper tickets, following American Airlines lead with just a slight difference in timing. United said on July 29 it will stop issuing paper tickets for U.S. trips by next July and for every other route where electronic tickets are available by January 2004.

Also, effective August 1, United will charge $20 for all customer-requested paper tickets issued directly by the airline in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and for which e-tickets are available.
 

P A G E 3

D O I T R A V E L N E W S L E T T E R

DOI TRAVELER INFORMATION

Trip Manager Corner

Easy Access for Travel Planners

A Travel Planner is one who is authorized to make travel arrangements for others. Trip Manager allows you to designate one or more travel planners in your Trip Manager traveler profile. The opportunity to use a travel planner is one of the many useful functions of Trip Manager. Using Trip Manager not only saves money for your bureau ($10.50 Trip Manager vs. $26.64 with a live agent), it saves you valuable time, as well. A travel planner can easily research a variety of flights, hotels, and car rentals, and present the results to the traveler for selection.

There are two steps to begin the process of having a travel planner. The first step is to ensure that both the travel planner and the traveler has a profile. Each Omega World Travel (OWT) profile is the basis for each Trip Manager profile. A profile will exist in Trip Manager if you have a current Bank of America Government travel charge card, and you have completed your OWT profile at: (https://profiler.owt.net/doi_2001/). If the travel planner does not have a profile, contact your Bureau Trip Manager Administrator (http://www.doi.gov/pfm/tmc/trip_mgr_admin.html) to set up a “travel planner” profile.

The second step is designated for the traveler. The traveler must add the user(s) authorized to make reservations in their Trip Manager traveler profile. The traveler must have the planner's Member ID to complete this step. The traveler should log in to Trip Manager, click on traveler profiles, click on edit personal settings, click on travel settings, and in the middle of the page, enter the travel planner member ID in the designated box, and click on “save changes.”

Once the traveler has completed and saved the travel planner section of the Trip Manager profile, the travel planner is ready to begin arranging travel. The travel planner should log in, click on select another traveler, select the member ID by highlighting the name of the traveler, and click continue. The flight search appears indicating current user (travel planner’s name) and reserving travel for (traveler’s name). Begin the reservation process by making a selection from the reservations menu. Complete the booking process.

Before logging off, remember to click on “submit for purchase!”

OWT Airline Ticket Data

The following table shows updated OWT airline ticket data:

Traveler "Tip Bits"

Turbulence

Turbulence is defined as irregular motion of the atmosphere, as that indicated by gusts and lulls in the wind. Turbulence can arise at any time and many times is unpredictable. When there is a possibility of turbulence, the pilot or flight attendant, will announce that passengers should return to their seats and buckle their seat belts. The pilot will also turn on the seat belt sign as a reminder. Each year, a number of airline passengers in the United States are injured by turbulence while not wearing their seat belts. Generally, two-thirds of turbulence-related accidents occur at or above 30,000 feet. When turbulence does occur, passengers who are not wearing a seat belt can be seriously injured. Two safety precaution tips to always remember:

•Wear your seat belt at all times; and

•Make sure your seat belt is secured snugly and low across the hips.