2011 brought with it some significant changes for both the travel industry and Dana’s Global Travel. Here are the top 11 travel changes of 2011:
DGT NEWS:
1. Dana’s Global Travel Partners with Orbitz Worldwide! Following a partnership with Travelocity in 2010, you can now take advantage of an even greater variety of travel options and prices! Another perk that comes with the Orbitz partnership is personal customer profiles. Store your info for expedited bookings!
2. Expedia and Orbitz no longer feature American Airlines Flights. Unfortunately, this means that DGT will not feature these flights on the website either. However, this does not mean that I will exclude them from my searches for international flights and packages. For the best competitive prices, please contact me directly at danasglobaltravel@gmail.com.
DOMESTIC NEWS:
3. The required TSA pat down. All passengers flying through TSA protected airports must be patted down….if you’ve flown recently, you know what this is…you are essentially hand scanned by a TSA agent in blue gloves!
4. Airport body scanners reveal ALL! Airport large scanners produce stripped down photos of the passengers to assure they are not hiding any weapons. Passengers are chosen at random for both scans and pat downs. While you have the option to protest, it may prolong or prevent your travel plans.
5. San Francisco Airport (SFO) opens Eco-Friendly Terminal 2 in April 2011! It will be the first LEED Gold-registered airport in the USA!
6. Overbooked? Delta says “Name your price!” Instead of passengers bidding how much they will pay for a flight, passengers bid how much money they want for being bumped from a crowded plane. Find out more here: http://bit.ly/i5p0Qz
7. Smoking banned in rental cars. Avis, Dollar, Thrifty and Budget have already banned smoking. Don’t test it, companies charge fees of $250 or higher if you’re caught!
DISNEY NEWS:
8. Disney Cruise Lines introduces the newest ship in its fleet, Disney Dream. The Disney Dream will sail 3-, 4- and 5-night cruises to the Bahamas beginning with its maiden voyage on Jan. 26, 2011. All cruises will depart from Port Canaveral.
9. Walt Disney World commences the expansion of the Magic Kingdom! The expanded area called Fantasy land will nearly double the Kingdom’s size and offer 9 new rides, show, restaurants and other attractions! They will start opening in phases in 2012.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
10. Cuba travel restrictions lowered for students, religious and cultural groups only. American tourists are not yet able to visit.
11. Europe lodging and dining now more affordable. Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Greece are the best in 2011. Unfortunately, international flights are less competitive due to the steadily increasing costs of fuel.
