MARATHON FLYING

So you think you’re a “road warrior?” How does a 19 hour flight sound? That is the time for the new longest commercial flight in the world—Singapore Airlines’ Singapore to New York non-stop service.



Using a specially configured A340-500 jet which was built to seat 313, Singapore’s version carries only 181 passengers. They have eliminated first class, which uses seats that are too bulky and heavy (and are seeing lower demand these days anyway), created a more deluxe version of business class (with fully lie-flat sleeper beds and an advanced entertainment system offering 400 audio/video options, added an “Executive Economy” class (with spacious leg room and a 2-3-2 layout), and expanded legroom in the regular economy cabin. The result is a very comfortable, uncrowded, and (most important to the airline) light plane.



How does Singapore’s crew pull off such a long flight? Sleep is, of course, the most important issue. Each A340-500 operates with two full flight crews. All four pilots occupy the flight deck during takeoff and landing, then one captain and first officer remain in the cockpit while the other two retire to specially equipped bunks—one forward and one aft, below decks. They rest for 3 hours, then return to the cockpit to relieve the other crew. Later, both crews have a second rest break, lasting about 5 hours. The captain and first officer who are the “command crew” on the outbound leg serve as the backup crew on the return sector. Flight attendants are scheduled between 4 and 6 hours’ rest in the 8 bunks below the passenger deck. Crews do not work for 3 to 4 days before and after an ultra-long-haul trip. There is a two- or three-day layover in L.A. or New York.



Leading up to the launch of this new service, Singapore Airlines brought in experts from around the world to teach them about fatigue management, circadian rhythms, and rest patterns. They showed them how to use diet, sleep, and exercise to prepare for the flights, and how to combat boredom while on duty. This includes superbly designed crew beds and an in-flight entertainment system to help them relax.



So, what is it like to be a passenger on the world’s longest flight? After flying the inaugural flight, one passenger reported, “I drank, I ate dinner, I took a sleeping pill and slept for seven hours—and when I awoke, we still had nine hours left in the flight!”

Source: Airways, Nov. 2004

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

What does the business traveler want from a travel agent? Visionistics, a Vancouver consulting firm surveyed 1000 travel agency customers to find out. “The top three reasons…clients bought from a travel agent are that they liked the person they spoke to, they trusted the person they spoke to, and were offered alternatives they hadn’t thought of.” This survey related specifically to leisure clients, but I think the same three factors apply to corporate travel.



Business travelers definitely value a close, long-standing relationship with their agent. (The mega-agencies that force their clients to deal with a “team” of rotating agents forget this.)



Secondly, business travelers need to have a high level of trust in their agent. Just as you would not want that all-important vacation blown by bad advice or carelessness, the businessperson wants the assurance that they will make that appointment on time, the meeting room will be booked properly, and all of the details of the trip will fall into place neatly and as expected. Similarly, the owner/manager needs to trust that the travel agency will always be looking after his/her interests.



Finally, business travelers want choices—both to save money and to find improvements in their schedules. Just because, say, United Airlines is the traveler’s preferred airline, it doesn’t mean they don’t want to hear about a faster, more direct route on Northwest. On the other hand, the busy traveler usually is not looking to be bombarded with information the way it is often dished out on the Internet. This is where relationships, trust, and choice coalesce. A good travel agent who knows the client well, a client who trusts the agent’s judgment, and skill make a winning combination.



What Do We Think?

We polled our own agents to see what they think makes a good corporate travel agent. Here are some of their answers:

“A good agent has experience with airline routings and can pinpoint the best hotels closest to the client’s destination, all with the view of saving the customer money.”



“A good corporate agent understands loyalty and frequent-flyer programs. He knows how important these are to clients, and can help them maximize points earnings, book free trips, and secure frequent-flyer upgrades.”



“Good agents maintain excellent working relationships with all important hotel chains, car rental agencies, and airlines; so when a client needs help, the agent is able to work effectively as his customer’s advocate.”



“A good agent understands complex airfares, is able to find alternative airports and routes, is aware of small regional airlines, uses the web and many other resources, and has enough experience to find creative ways to save the client both time and money.”



Conclusion:



Interestingly, customers seem to value the “soft” issues, such as trust and choice, while their agents think the technical issues are most important. Let’s leave the last word on the subject with you. Send us your comments about what makes a good corporate travel agent, or why you like your favourite agent. Simply click here and send.

OUR POINTS EXPERT

Long ago we realized that if we were to be a successful travel agency, we’d have to pay attention to what our clients really want from us. One need that stands out is our clients’ wish for someone to help them with their points bookings. Most travel agencies seem to just wish these pesky frequent-flyer programs would go away; but The Travel Group offers a specialist in mileage plans. Our expert is Tara. Our clients love Tara because she is knowledgeable, thorough, and persistent in her efforts to secure the best points seats.

We thought that you might be interested in what her job is like and what tips she can offer.

1. What is it like handling all of the frequent-flyer bookings for The Travel Group?

It's a challenge! And a bit like a puzzle: if I can’t find the seats on the preferred airline, I have to figure out what other partner airlines or combination of airlines might work. Generally, the frequent-flyer desks are not very helpful (their reservations agents are often not that well trained), so I’m usually on my own to find something that fits a client’s needs.



2. What is your biggest frustration?

Hold times. Sometimes they can be 45 minutes or longer. That adds up to enormous chunks of time to spend without being able to take calls from our clients. I guess my clients would say, “Better you than me!”



3. There seem to be endless changes in frequent-flyer programs and their rules. How do you keep up?

Whenever I have a moment (usually while I am on hold!), I visit airline websites and review their frequent-flyer pages. For 2005, I see there are quite a few changes in store for some programs, including Aeroplan.



4. Obviously Aeroplan is the biggest plan for our clients. Which program is second biggest?

I would say that American Airlines’ AAdvantage Program would be the second most significant plan for our clients. It is a partner on several Gold credit card programs, so it often comes up as a good alternative to Aeroplan.



5. Who has the best plan in terms of ease of redemption and availability?

Aeroplan is best. I know that some will disagree, but because it is part of the Star Alliance network, Aeroplan offers a lot of excellent partner airlines to choose from that cover the globe. The runner-up is definitely Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan. It compliments Aeroplan nicely because of its range of airline partners, which are mostly from the competing One World Alliance.



6. Which plan is the most complicated and/or difficult to handle?

British Airways is the most difficult. They are not very travel agent friendly, meaning that unless you have set up your frequent flyer account to allow us to have access, BA will not let us handle your points booking. Most of our clients are very busy people who would rather pay an expert to do this difficult job than handle it personally. Unfortunately, British Airways just doesn’t get it.



7. Do you have any tips for frequent-flyers?

Book early and buy Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance. I recommend the latter because points tickets are almost never changeable once you have started your trip. If you have to make an unexpected change to your return trip, you will almost definitely have to buy “full fare” tickets, which will cost a fortune! Cancellation/interruption insurance is designed to reimburse you for these expenses in many cases, such as for medical emergencies and family medical situations.



8. What is the craziest points trip you've ever booked?

It was a last minute trip. Our client needed to fly to the east coast of Canada, and the only way to get him there was with two connections plus an overnight in each direction! He actually booked it.



9. What is the toughest points booking you've ever successfully completed?

The toughest would be an Aeroplan booking for three business class tickets to Vietnam, with a stop in Singapore, in peak season. I only had a couple of months lead time, and for those of us in the points game you know you just can’t get business class seats, let alone three of them, to Asia unless you book 10 years in advance. I still can’t believe I pulled that one off!



10. Where is the most exotic place you’ve ever booked on points

Well, I can’t say what the most exotic place is, but in the past six months I’ve found seats for clients to Bogotá, Kuala Lumpur, and Ho Chi Minh City.



11. How can you tell if I am using my points wisely or frivolously?

We have a little formula: we estimate that a frequent-flyer point is worth 2 cents a mile. If you can’t buy a ticket for that value (or less), then you are using your points wisely. The best value of all is for business class. Of course, those are the most difficult to come by. Business class to areas such as Asia, Africa, or South Pacific would be the absolute best way to spend your points, because these destinations do not ever seem to have discounted business class fares. You either pay full fare, or use your points.



12. Is Aeroplan really as bad as most people think?

No, I don’t think it’s that bad. I believe people get frustrated with Aeroplan because seats often are not available for when and where they want. Aeroplan has millions of members and, like any other frequent-flyer program, only a limited number of points seats allotted per flight. The trick is to book well in advance and use a specialist like me.



13. What’s the best and worst part of your job as frequent-flyer program manager?

Best: I get to book travel to fascinating destinations all over the world and I get to have great conversations with our clients. In addition to booking the free tickets, I get to research these interesting places and book tours, car rentals, and hotels.

Worst: Travellers seem to want to go to the same places at the same time, and that makes it tough to find free seats. I don’t like to disappoint a client.

TOP TEN AIRLINES

At the end of the year, everyone seems to come out with their Top Ten lists for just about everything, so we might as well do one of our own, for airlines. We don’t presume to know who is the best. Instead we will turn to several prominent organizations that conduct their own annual surveys. They are Conde Nast Magazine, Travel & Leisure Magazine, OAG, and Skytrax Research.



First, though, let’s cut to the chase, and reveal what is the world’s best airline for 2004.



According to the readers of Conde Nast Magazine, the best is Singapore Airlines for international routes and JetBlue for “domestic” (ie. U.S.). The criteria the magazine uses is pretty comprehensive, including ticketing/ground services, cabin comfort, cabin service, entertainment options, and food/beverages (in the case of international). Note, however, that food/beverage is excluded from the “domestic” U.S., thus stacking the deck in favour of the low-cost carriers. In fact, this year four out of the ten top domestic airlines were budget, no-frills airlines. For this reason, and the fact that most of our clients are based outside of the U.S., we will stick to looking at international carriers (which include U.S. airlines, of course.)



Travel & Leisure Magazine agrees—Singapore Airlines is the world’s best airline for 2004.



OAG, the publisher of the airline guide used world-wide by travel agents and airlines, stages an annual awards event for best airlines. The OAG Airline of the Year Awards actually hosts an annual gala dinner and awards ceremony to recognize and celebrate the very best in global air travel. This event, often called ‘The Oscars of the airline industry’, is now in its 23rd year. Votes for the award categories are polled from OAG’s world-wide customer base of business travelers, and therefore it has a corporate travel bias.



This year’s winner stunned the airline industry—Continental Airlines. It is the first U.S . -based carrier to win the title since the awards were established 22 years ago. Continental also won the Best Executive/Business Class category and was voted Best Airline based in North America in the OAG awards, and was short-listed in three other categories.



One other organization weighing in on the subject is Skytrax Research, a London-based aviation market research company. Their survey is perhaps the most comprehensive and thorough one, which looks at factors such as competitive performance, passenger loyalty, passenger satisfaction analysis, and brand-awareness. Skytrax calls its “Airline of the Year” selection the global barometer of airline passenger opinions, and it claims to be free of any outside or financial influences. It also claims to be the only airline survey that is truly worldwide in perspective, taking in more than 90 different passenger nationalities. Billing itself the world's "largest" passenger survey, it was conducted over a 10 month period - from June 2003 to March 2004 - the total number of eligible survey nominations being 10,821,215.



Their “Airline of the Year 2004” is (surprise!) Singapore Airlines.



Now, for our Top Ten List. This is a consolidation of the four surveys mentioned above. The top ten airlines of 2004 are:



1. Singapore

2. Cathay Pacific

3. Emirates

4. Thai

5. Virgin Atlantic

6. Qantas

7. Continental

8. Malaysian

9. British Airways

10. Japan Airlines







So once again, the best airline of 2004 seems to be Singapore Airlines. It has won the top spot in Conde Nast Magazine’s readers poll 16 times in 17 years! According to Business Traveller, Singapore has become “the standard by which all other international airlines are judged” (Business Traveller – Asia Pacific, 1997a, p. 3). This airline is consistently profitable, even through tough times, boasting a continuous profit streak since its inception 56 years ago.”

CLUB MED FOR DUMMIES

Not all Club Meds are alike; some are designed for families, some for couples, and some are good for everybody. As you peruse a Club Med brochure or browse their web site, you will find a bewildering array of choices. We wanted to make it simpler for you to choose the right one, so we asked our experts to give us their top picks. Here is the list:



Top Club Med Family villages:



1. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic - Number one for adults & kids, this all-suite village is awesome, offering 75 acres of everything your family needs to relax, romp and roam.



2. Ixtapa, Mexico - Ranked among the top family vacations spots by The Travel Channel, this village is packed with every experience your family could imagine.



3. Sandpiper, Florida - America’s only warm-weather all-inclusive family vacation spot. Endless activities provide the perfect adventure for parents and kids alike.











Top Club Med Villages for Adults:



1. Cancun, Mexico - As one of the very first resorts in Cancun, Club Med laid claim to this premier beachfront location. Here, every moment of partying, playing, dining, dancing, and lounging takes place along the unequalled beauty of the Gulf of Mexico.



2. Turkoise, Turks and Caicos - Explore one of the Top 10 dive spots in the world, or simply kick back and relax. Whatever you decide to do here, get ready for some serious fun!











Top Club Med Villages for Everyone:



1. Columbus Isle, Bahamas - Pristine beaches, sailing, windsurfing, scuba-diving, waterskiing, volleyball, archery. The list of activities seem endless. This is considered the most elegant of Club Med’s villages.



2. Bora Bora, Tahiti - Now for something really exotic: blankets of white sand and intriguing Tahitian cuisine create a romantic atmosphere that floats over the peaceful, crystalline waters.









Top Club Med Total All-Inclusive Ski Villages:

(and yes, that means full day ski/snowboard lessons and daily lift tickets)



1. Crested Butte, Colorado - The U.S.’s only totally all-inclusive family ski vacation. Ranked as one of the top Super Ski Resorts for Families by Child Magazine.



2. Val Thorens Freestyle, France (adult village) - For skiing, snowboarding, fitness, mountain-climbing, weight training, and après-ski, nothing beats this magnificent setting.



3. Les Arc Freestyle, France (adult village) - The ski slopes are just a stone’s throw away from the dance floor. For 24-hour fun, this is THE place.