Travel Calendar

AAA estimates approximately 30.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home by automobile this Memorial Day weekend, as the gas prices continue to fall.

In Tennessee, just over 613,000 are expected to travel by auto, which would be a 1.5 percent increase over last year’s Memorial Day weekend. The national projection would be a 1.2 percent increase over last year.

Gas prices have dropped 45 consecutive days since April 6, according to AAA’s Historical Fuel Gauge Report. Prices this year peaked at $3.93 on April 6. The average price today is $3.68 per gallon, a 4-cent decrease from last week according to AAA.

The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in Tennessee is $3.40 per gallon, a seven-cent drop from last week.

The impact Europe’s economy and debt issues is having on oil prices is a major reason for the drop in gas costs and the increase in projected automobile travel, AAA spokeswoman Jessica Brady said.

Air travel, however, is projected to drop 5.5 percent nationwide for Memorial Day weekend. In Tennessee, just over 58,000 are expected fly, which would be a 5.3 percent decline.

Travel by bus or train is expected to go up 14.8 percent in the U.S. and 21.4 percent in Tennessee.

Overall, 34.8 million are projected to travel in the U.S. for Memorial Day, a 1.2 percent increase over 2011. In Tennessee,just over 704,000 are expected to travel, a 1.7 percent increase over a year ago.

Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) and US Airways
Group Inc. (LCC) are among carriers raising fares and reaping domestic
bookings for summer travel as a recovering economy spurs more
Americans to take vacations.

Tickets for use in June through August rose 4.3 percent
from a year earlier, while prices are up 3.1 percent, based on
data compiled for Bloomberg by Airlines Reporting Corp. ARC
settles transactions between airlines and travel-sellers, so it
has insight into flights before the trips are taken.

“It seems like there’s pent-up demand from people who had
austerity for a number of years and really want and need a
vacation now,” said Kevin Crissey, an analyst at UBS Securities
LLC in New York. “I’m optimistic about the near term.”

Airlines count on filling planes at the highest possible
fares between June and August, when leisure flying peaks. They
may get a tailwind this year, after the number of Americans who
reported taking a vacation climbed to 2.7 million in April, the
highest tally for that month since 2007, according to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The prospect of “very strong” summertime travel demand
and falling jet-fuel prices spurred Helane Becker, a Dahlman
Rose Co. analyst in New York, to raise earnings estimates
industrywide. Jets probably will fly with record numbers of
seats filled, she said in a note today.

The Bloomberg U.S. Airlines Index (BUSAIRL) of 10 carriers rose 2.5
percent, the most in two weeks, at 1:55 p.m. in New York. US
Airways jumped 5.9 percent to $10.65 to lead the gains, and
Delta climbed 3.5 percent to $10.50.

‘Really Good Shape’

“As we look across summer, bookings appear to be in really
good shape,” Delta President Ed Bastian said at a May 17
transportation conference in Boston hosted by Bank of America
Merrill Lynch.

Travel demand is “robust” and there is an “awful lot of
room” for airlines to increase revenues, US Airways President
Scott Kirby said at the same conference.

“We’re being aggressive for the summer” on raising fares,
Kirby said. “We feel really good about the outlook for May and
the summer, as far out as the eye can see.”

Revenue for each seat flown a mile, an industry benchmark,
in May and June probably will rise by “mid- to high single
digits” for the U.S. carriers, Crissey estimates.

Delta and US Airways gave figures in that range last week,
with Atlanta-based Delta forecasting a 7 percent jump in so-
called unit revenue in May, and June “a couple points better”
than that, Bastian said. Tempe, Arizona-based US Airways said
May unit revenue would rise by “mid-single digits.”

United, American

United Continental Holdings Inc., (UAL) the world’s largest
carrier, hasn’t given a unit revenue forecast for May or June
and AMR Corp. (AAMRQ)’s American Airlines, the third-biggest carrier in
the U.S., hasn’t given such projections while under bankruptcy
court protection.

U.S. travel is a bright spot for domestic carriers, with
Europe mired in a sovereign debt crisis and growth in China, the
world’s second-largest economy, probably touching a 13-year low
in 2012. First-quarter yield, or fare per mile, averaged 14.6
cents for the six biggest U.S. airlines, topping all other
regional totals except for Latin America’s 16.1 cents.

“North America domestic is one of the best regions in the
world right now,” said George Ferguson, senior aerospace
analyst for Bloomberg Industries in Skillman, New Jersey.
“These signs are absolutely encouraging. I do think the trends
will continue” all summer.

Falling Fuel

A drop in fuel prices also will help airline profits. Once
up as much as 10 percent in 2012, jet fuel for immediate
delivery in New York Harbor fell 1.7 percent this year through
May 18, to $2.93 a gallon.

Airlines have cut available seats over the past several
years to trim costs, enabling them to fill planes to near-record
levels and bolstering their ability to raise fares in busy
travel periods such as the summer vacation season.

Load factor, or the percentage of seats sold to paying
passengers, averaged 80.9 percent in the first quarter among 12
U.S. airlines, topping the figures for the same period in each
of the previous two years, based on data compiled by Bloomberg.

“Airlines are getting pricing, which means there’s
reasonable supply constraint and consistent demand,” UBS
Securities’ Crissey said.

Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) curbed expansion plans last week by
deferring delivery for four years on 30 Boeing Co. (BA) 737-800 jets
scheduled for 2013 and 2014.

The moves will pare capital expenditures by $1 billion next
year and in 2014, Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said on May
16 at the Dallas-based carrier’s annual meeting.

“We have a very solid second quarter under way and a very
solid earnings outlook for the year,” if fuel prices don’t
jump, Kelly said in an interview after the meeting. “Our
business is really strong across the board.”

To contact the reporter on this story:
Mary Jane Credeur in Atlanta at
mcredeur@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Ed Dufner at
edufner@bloomberg.net

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While the rest of the nation plans to drive a bit more this Memorial Day holiday than last year, New Englanders are expected to be less inclined to pile in the car and go touring, according to AAA’s Memorial Day Travel report.

Nationwide, about 30.7 million people plan to drive to their destination, up from 30.3 million last year, an increase of 1.2 percent.

About 1.39 million New Englanders plan to take to the road this year than last, up six-tenths of a percentage point over last year, but half the national rate this year, the report said.

Overall, about 1.54 million New Englanders plan to travel over the Memorial Day Holiday, up four-tenths of a percentage point compared to last year. About 130,000 travelers said they will fly to their destination, down 6.2 percent from last year, Jim McPherson, spokesman for AAA Allied Group in West Hartford said Friday.

Nationally, air travel is expected to decline 5.5 percent from last year — from 2.7 million passenger in 2011 to 2.5 million this year, the report said.

Only those who are traveling 50 miles or more were included in the AAA’s national survey, on which the report is based.

As a result, “there are probably people traveling in this area who were not counted because of shorter distances to destinations in New England,” McPherson said.

“If you’re going to be driving, expect company on the road,” he added.

In search of closer-to-home attractions, there’s been an increase in the people “coming into our West Hartford and Manchester offices who want to know more about short-drive destinations,” said Cheryl Parker, spokeswoman with AAA-Allied Group in Cincinnati.

“The trend is to take shorter trips,” Parker added.

Although more people will travel over the Memorial Day weekend, its cover less territory. Last year Americans traveled an average of 792 miles over the weekend, this year the average trip is expected to be about 642 miles, down 150 miles, the report said.

Despite falling gasoline prices, Americans are expected to stay closer to home. In February and March gas prices climbed all but four days in those two months. Come April, gas prices fell 23 of 30 days during the month, the report said.

The current national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is about 28 cents lower than this time last year. Monday the national average for a gallon of regular gas was $3.69 compared to $3.87 a year ago.

Statewide a gallon of regular gasoline averaged $3.96 Monday compared to $4.15 a month ago, and down 26 cents from a year ago when the average price at the pump was $4.22 a gallon.

Consumers are still feeling squeezed by those prices, however. To economize, they are taking shorter trips, cutting short their stay at inns or hotels, booking lower-priced lodgings or staying with friends, the report said.

India’s oil minister, S. Jaipal Reddy, will lead a team to Turkmenistan to sign a deal to get
natural gas through a pipeline, according to three people
familiar with the matter.

GAIL India Ltd. (GAIL), the nation’s biggest gas distributor, and
TurrnenGas, Turkmenistan’s national oil company, plan to sign
the agreement tomorrow, the people said, asking not to be
identified because the matter hasn’t been officially announced.
India’s cabinet approved the oil ministry’s proposal to sign the
sale and purchase agreement for the pipeline project, including
the price of gas, on May 17.

The U.S., which plans to end its military presence in
Afghanistan, backs the 1,680-kilometer (1,044-mile) pipeline
that will pass through the country and Pakistan as an
alternative to a line from Iran. The gas will help meet demand
in energy-starved India and Pakistan, which are seeking to
stimulate businesses, boost trade and ease travel restrictions
after fighting three wars since the end of British colonial rule
in 1947.

“There are security concerns in Afghanistan and I don’t
see who is going to ensure uninterrupted flow of gas through the
pipeline,” said Bharat Karnad, a security analyst at the New
Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research. “The U.S. supports this
project but they’re in the process of pulling out of
Afghanistan.”

The pipeline, with a capacity of 90 million cubic meters a
day, will be completed in 2018 and will supply gas for 30 years,
the Indian government said in a May 17 statement. India and
Pakistan will each get 38 million cubic meters of gas a day and
Afghanistan 14 million from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh field,
according to the statement.

Iran Pipeline

India’s share is about 29 percent of the country’s average
daily gas output in the year ended March 31, according to oil
ministry data.

Reddy wasn’t available for comment when called at his
office. GAIL Chairman B.C. Tripathi declined to comment.

India, which had been in talks to build a gas pipeline from
Iran, wasn’t a signatory to an agreement between Iran and
Pakistan to supply the fuel by 2014. The U.S. has urged nations
including India, Japan and countries of the European Union to
stop buying oil and gas from Iran, which it accuses of seeking
to build nuclear weapons. Iran has maintained it’s pursuing
atomic energy for civilian purposes.

India, the world’s second fastest-growing major economy,
needs to import gas to help offset a decline in domestic output.
Turkmenistan is seeking additional markets after becoming the
fourth-biggest holder of gas reserves, according to a 2011
report by BP Plc. Russia holds the world’s largest and Iran the
second-biggest, according to the report.

Gas Payment

U.S. troops are pulling out of Afghanistan as a decade-old
war draws to a close.

After 2014, “the Afghan war as we understand it is over,”
President Barack Obama said May 20 after meeting with Afghan
President Hamid Karzai.

India will pay for the gas only when it is delivered at its
border, Press Trust of India reported March 17, citing a person
it didn’t identify. Afghanistan and Pakistan will sign
agreements with India to provide security to the pipeline, for
which India would pay 50 cents per million British thermal units
as transit fee, according to the report.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Rakteem Katakey in New Delhi at
rkatakey@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Amit Prakash at
aprakash1@bloomberg.net

Ah, it is summer again! The golden time for travel! Dear international students, are you familiar with traveling in America? As an international student myself, I can still remember my first travel in America. I learned a lot about how transportation works in the U.S., and I’m glad to share with you some tips I learned from my own experience.

Train is the primary means of long distance transportation for people in my home country China, while the most popular way in America is to take a plane. But there are lots of other methods of traveling far distances in America as well, that an international student may not know about or think about.

Since almost every form of travel here requires a reservation, you should think about how you want to travel well in advance of your trip.

Airplane

Flight is the most popular means of travel in America, since it is fast and comfortable.  During my last spring break, I took a plane to Los Angeles in order to save time. Spring break only lasts for one week, and I wanted to make sure I had as much time as possible for entertainment.

For many international students though, flying may be too expensive.

There are a lot of websites you can use to find flights and compare prices.  I know other people who have used kayak.com, Travelocity.com and expedia.com.  But if you simply search “flight,” you’ll find a whole lot of possibilities.

You can also sometimes get cheaper flights by choosing a smaller airline, although those airlines also fly to fewer places.  When I was going to L.A., I was able to get a really good deal with an airline called Allegiant Air, which only goes to 6 cities after I input “Fargo, North Dakota” as the departure city. Luckily, L.A. happened to be one of them.

A lot of times, the further in advance you book your flight, the cheaper it will be. This situation is quite different from China for Chinese flight tickets can almost remain constant during a long period of time.

One note of caution.  Pay attention to each airline’s requirements for luggage and for checking in.  You don’t want to get to the airport and find out you have to pay extra fees for a heavy bag or that you were supposed to check in from home before you left.

Bus

Greyhound bus in Champaign Urbana, Illinois (Creative Commons photo by Steve Wilson)

Compared to flying, taking a bus is much cheaper, but also more time-consuming. The buses that are meant to take people long distances are much more comfortable than public transportation buses in a city, and some even offer wireless internet for the whole trip. If you’re not in a hurry, the bus could be a good choice for you.

The most well-known bus company in America is called Greyhound, and it travels to many places across the country.  I haven’t taken a Greyhound, but I’m going to take a Megabus to help me get to New York City directly from Washington, D.C., where I’m living for the summer. Megabus is one of an increasing number of bus companies that go only between a few big cities.  These buses make fewer stops and are usually cheaper than Greyhound.

Similar to flying, the cost to book a bus trip can keep changing, and it is usually better to reserve the bus as far in advance as you can.

Train

Taking the train in America is not as popular as in China, but some trains can sell out of seats.  The major train company in America is called Amtrak, and it operates service across most parts of the country.

An Amtrak train pulls into the station at Tukwila, Washington (Creative Commons photo by Pat Kight)

I took the train to get from Fargo to D.C.  My train ticket was about $200 cheaper than an airplane ticket would have been, but it took me two days to get there! There was no direct train so I had to take one train first from Fargo to Chicago, then another from Chicago to the final destination. I probably could have gotten a direct flight, which would have taken only about 4 and a half hours.

I really enjoyed the trip though. On the train you get to see beautiful scenery outside your window. In my case, I saw all sorts of different landscapes, and households of all kinds. Also, sitting next to the same person for such a long time, you can get to know them a bit.  I got familiar with an African girl who is studying international finance and economics in a liberal arts college in Chicago.  We talked about lots of interesting things and listened to Japanese music together!

As an international student myself, I really enjoy traveling. I have gained fabulous experiences from my travel and I hope you will also have fun and learn on the road. Hopefully these travel tips can be useful for you and lead you to a marvelous summer full of amazing travel stories

The Golden Gate Bridge turns 75 on Sunday culminating with a big festival from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. that day with fireworks, entertainment, exhibits and more. The Golden Gate Festival is free and will stretch along the waterfront from Fort Point to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Other tribute events happening all week and into summer to mark May 27, 1937, the day the bridge first opened to pedestrians. Here are some good bets for those heading to San Francisco next weekend:

–A ferry cruise takes you under the Golden Gate Bridge in a two-hour loop that starts at Pier 43 1/2 and swings out around Angel Island. This is a great way to get a closeup of the bridge and experience the bay too. California Sunset Cruise costs $58 for adults, $40 for children 5-17 years old, free for kids younger than 5. Starting Wednesday, cruises run daily at 7 p.m. in summer. (The Sunday tour is sold out.) Contact: Red and White Fleet, (415) 673-2900.

–A guided tour on an electric bike (you can peddle or use a motor boost) scoots over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. Cyclists learn about the building of the bridge during the outing and receive commemorative photos on the bridge and a 75th Anniversary Rider Certificate. Tours cost $80 per person, including return ferry ticket, and depart 10 a.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Contact: Electric Tour Company, (415) 474-3130.

–BridgeFest NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences features a pop-up exhibit of photographs of construction of the Golden Gate and Bay bridges. A second mobile museum tells the history of stagecoaches, the Gold Rush and the bridge. More science-type doings and swing music provided by the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra too. $12 per person, 5 to 9 p.m. Contact: California Academy of Sciences, (415) 379-8000.

–Jumping on a trampoline in the Presidio affords great views of the Golden Gate Bridge — and a bit of a workout. The House of Air Trampoline Park is offering half-hour jumping sessions for $8 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 27. It’s a walk-up event, no reservations needed. Contact: House of Air Trampoline Park,  (415) 345-9675.

Sam Morris

A WestJet airplane takes off from McCarran International Airport on Friday, Aug. 26, 2011.

By Richard N. Velotta (contact)

Richard N. Velotta

The Internet has become a game-changer for the travel industry. But it was also a job-killer.

As the public became more familiar with researching travel options and booking plane tickets and hotel rooms online, people became their own travel agents.

Thousands of travel agency professionals lost their jobs, and small mom-and-pop agencies either were absorbed by giant travel companies or disappeared.

But today, small, home-based travel agencies have rebounded. Last week, more than 1,500 of the estimated 8,000 agents nationwide were in Las Vegas for the Home-Based Travel Agent Forum, attending seminars and panel discussions to better themselves as travel professionals.

“It’s a $100 billion industry today,” said Mark Murphy, president and CEO of Travalliance and a travel industry writer. “I don’t think people realize that 75 percent of cruises and tours and 60 percent of international travel are booked by travel agents who work from their homes.”

Melody Fee, vice president of the Outside Sales Support Network, which presents the travel agent forum — it debuted at the Venetian last year and is booked at the resort annually through 2016 — said that although some agents have struggled in the Internet era, many of those who have adapted are making six-figure salaries.

Murphy said the biggest challenge facing today’s home-based travel agents is marketing themselves. Most have thin advertising budgets and have a hard time telling potential customers about the services they offer.

Murphy moderated a panel on techniques agents can use to encourage repeat business. Panelist Martha Powell, a custom groups and fundraising specialist, suggested building a bon voyage swag bag (“swag,” defined by her, is “Stuff Worthy of Agent Gifting.”) It’s inexpensive, she said, and it’s the thought behind the gift that counts.

Lauren Liebert of Ticket to Travel gives customers gift baskets themed for the trip. She showed slides of baskets filled with Disney princess items for Disneyland trips, an “Under the Tuscan Sun”-themed basket for a trip to Italy and a basket that included a “Lion King” DVD to commemorate an African safari.

Scott Koepf, vice president of sales for Avoya Travel, is a big fan of “Welcome Home” gifts. Send a rose or a pizza. “Who wants to cook on the first day back from a vacation?” he asked. (Someone in the crowd said she gives her clients lottery tickets. “If they win, I know they’re going to spend it on a trip, hopefully booked by me.”)

With all the Internet search engines available and information at your fingertips, why go to a travel agent at all?

Murphy said there’s no substitute for information from someone who knows the landscape. Knowledgeable agents are likely to know about insider deals — and land mines.

Murphy used his own trip to Las Vegas as an example.

“You may not find all the details of things like resort fees until the day you show up,” he said. “I booked at the Mandarin Oriental, and I didn’t know the amount of the resort fee, although I knew it probably was coming because I come here about once a month on business.

“The amount didn’t throw me because, after all, I’m already paying a lot to stay at that hotel,” he said. “But it just ticked me off that I was getting hit with a $25 fee. I think most travelers want the entire cost consolidated in one bill. No one likes to get nickeled and dimed. I think that’s why travelers get so angry about some of the airline fees they get hit with.

“A good travel agent would know about this and warn the customer in advance, but most of the time, you’re not going to see that kind of information on a website,” he said.

Fee said another strategy some at-home travel agents are taking is to become specialized. Some know all there is to know about cruises, adventure tours or Holy Land expeditions.

At the conference’s trade show, Las Vegas had a major presence, with local resorts lining an entire row of booths. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is encouraging travel agents to book the city, offering $10,000 in incentives to the agent who books the most travel to the city through July 31.

Not bad in an industry most thought had died off long ago.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. and MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., May 21, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ –

Who: ROAD TRAVEL Magazine founder editor–in-chief, Courtney Caldwell, is driving a 17′ U-Haul Truck on a 3200-mile cross-country journey to share safety tips on women traveling alone.

What:

• The 3200-mile journey is designed to empower and inspire women with tips on how to keep safe, secure, and sane on the road alone, whether across town or across country, including how to avoid personal danger, how to choose the safest route and hotels, how to use navigation, navigating a high-profile vehicle, and which national companies provide support to women traveling alone.

• The U-Haul vehicle will have a mural painted on both sides of famed young Shoshone woman Sacajawea, who served as a guide and interpreter during the Lewis Clark Expedition of 1804. She was instrumental in their survival and success guiding them through the tough terrain of the northwest Rockies, representing a symbol of peace to other tribes as they approached, and saving many lives by guiding the expedition to abundant hunting grounds and safe shelter. U-haul also provides tips on how to pack your moving vehicle and plan in advance.

• The “Women Traveling Alone” Safety Tour is also sponsored by Bridgestone Tire, a company dedicated to keeping women and their families safe on the road.

Where:  Tour starts in Rhode Island and ends in Los Angeles, CA               States driven: RI, MA, NY, (Canada), MI, IL, IN, MO, OK, TX, NM, AZ, CA

When:   Saturday, May 19, 2012 – May 28, 2012, Memorial Day Weekend               – Interviews available along the route

Blogging Social Media – Caldwell will be blogging on the Road Travel Blog, Earth, Wind Power Blog, as well as on Facebook and Twitter each night from her hotel about the journey, providing additional safety tips along the route.

About ROAD TRAVEL Magazine

ROAD TRAVEL Magazine, established in 1988, is a comprehensive online magazine specializing in automotive, travel and personal safety topics aimed at women drivers. RTM provides content and resources from which consumers can make informed and intelligent decisions regarding their automotive, travel and personal safety needs. For more information and a full story on the tour, now on RTM’s home page, please visit www.roadandtravel.com. RTM will celebrate its 25th Anniversary next January.

SOURCE ROAD TRAVEL Magazine