Travel Industry Articles

(Dive Travel Business News - July 17, 2010) --  Carnival Cruise Lines has suspended all excursions that include the Coki Beach area on St. Thomas, after a 14-year-old female passenger from the Carnival Victory was killed by a stray bullet in a gang related shoot-out on Monday July 13, 2010. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - July 7, 2010) -- A couple of airlines are warning travel agents that passenger name records (PNR's) could be cancelled or agencies debited if they fail to properly submit the appropriate data for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's Secure Flight program, the American Society of Travel Agents alerted members in a dispatch this week.

US Airways warned agents this week that beginning Nov. 1, "ticketed PNRs that do not contain proper Secure Flight data within 72 hours of departure may be cancelled," following an earlier warning from Continental Airlines, which said it could debit agencies for failing to submit Secure Flight data.

The TSA has been collecting Secure Flight data elements, including gender and date of birth, since August of last year, it said beginning Nov. 1, 2010, "TSA has threatened to return all non-compliant records to the airlines for follow-up," regardless of where the booking originated. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - June 30, 2010) -- In a vote of 25 to 20, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee approved the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act.  This is the first hurdle towards lifting the ban on US travel to Cuba, in a measure that also eases restrictions on the sale of American commodities there.  The Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act must still get through another House committee and pass the full House. Then the Senate would have to pass its own version of the bill before it could be signed by the president.

Before the final vote, the Agriculture Committee rejected several amendments that would have eliminated the travel ban reversal or delayed its enactment. Opponents of the bill argue that while export restrictions should be eased, lifting the travel ban would benefit only the Communist government led by Fidel and Raúl Castro. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - June 15, 2010) -- The United States Air Consolidator Association (USACA) has implemented a new feature on its website that allows travel professionals to receive prices from multiple USACA member consolidators with one easy tool.  The new USACA-RFQ program permits the travel agent to fill out an itinerary request for one way, open jaw and round trip itineraries.  Upon submission, the itinerary is then sent to each USACA consolidator who can evaluate the request and provide the agent with a quote. Launched just last week, the USACA-RFQ system handled over 200 requests for quotes from travel agents on its first day of production.  read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - May 10, 2010 ) -- Antigua reportedly is cracking down hard on crime in the wake of the highly-publicized of a cruise ship passenger earlier this year. Antigua's tourism minister, Jon Maginley says, "We have adopted a zero tolerance (for) criminals and their behavior," saying the country will do what it takes to make the country a "safe, secure and peaceful destination."

Industry watcher Seatrade Insider reports the tourism-dependent country has beefed up manpower on its police force, instituted a new community-based policing system and spent millions of dollars on a new communications system for rapid response by law enforcement in the months since the brutal killing of a Star Clippers passenger.  read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - April 28, 2010) -- Mexico’s state tourism ministers have announced new measures for the country’s tourism sector, including the creating of a new tourism police unit in each state within the next 30 days. In 90 days, each state tourism minster must present urban development plans with an emphasis on the tourism sector and each state’s convention and visitors’ office must create a “Tourism Observatory,” which would essentially be a guide to the state’s tourism offerings. read more »

(Dive Travel Buiness News - March 16, 2010) -- It's hard to figure out the true cost of travel these days. Travel Professionals, Tour Operators and their customers are struggling to play catch-up with the changing baggage fee scene along with a surge in airline ancillary fees for meals, premium seating, blankets, WiFi and unaccompanied minors. 

In addition to the changing policies on ancillary fees, each airline has its own fee policy for these items. For instance, the fee for a single bag on a United international flight is determined by a combination of baggage weight, direction of travel, ticket class, the date the ticket was purchased, the date of travel and whether the bag will be registered at the airport or ahead of time on United's website. Then there is the question of whether or not you'll get your bag at the other end.

The situation is further complicated when factoring in how these policies affect codeshare agreements between two carriers and international-travel issues such as whether the weight limit on a bag will apply on all legs of the travel itinerary. read more »

(DiveTravelBusinessNews.com -- January 16, 2010) -- Known by divers for such wonders as the humuhumu-nukunuku-a-pua’a – Hawaii’s state fish, Hawaii offers more than undersea adventures. The Telegraph provides tips for topside activities on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island in this recent article by Alexandra Ferguson. Also available are resource links.

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