Articles of Interest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking for the perfect Holiday Gift?
Stop the endless shopping, we have the perfect gift. Give the gift of travel with a personalized travel gift certificate. Gift certificates can be customized with the recipient's name and description of the travel gift. Your gift can be for any dollar amount or we can customize a complete travel package just for you. This truly is the gift they will never forget. Click Here for samples.

Could this be you?
You booked your airline ticket directly with the airline. Upon arrival in Taiwan you are told you cannot enter the country because your passport expires in 3 months. What? You quickly find out that the airline didn't tell you that there is a 6 month validity rule to enter Taiwan. This rule means your passport must not expire for 6 months from the date of your return flight.

When you make your international reservations with A & I Travel Service you will have access to our highly skilled international travel consultants and a special department dedicated to handling all your visa and passport needs. Call Dori Dearen at 901-291-1421 with your visa and passport questions. We even have a passport reminder service. Just email your name, company name and passport expiration date to dori@aitvl.com and let us keep up with it for you. Get answers on line by Clicking Here for detailed information on international travel.

Airlines are telling more late fliers, 'Sorry'
It's getting tougher for last-minute fliers to dash down the concourse and catch a flight just before the jet way door closes.
Airlines are increasingly enforcing stated check-in times, road warriors say, leaving disgruntled fliers at the gate waiting for the next flight. And depending on airline policy, that could add the insult of added costs to the injury of being left off your ticketed flight. (Related items: Chart of airlines check-in policies). Click Here to continue.

 

   Airline News

 

 

 

 

Northwest Doubles Ticket Fees
Northwest Airlines has doubled its fees for travelers purchasing tickets with the help of a live person. The move is part of an industry-wide effort to direct travelers to airline websites, which process tickets more cheaply. Click Here to continue.

Continental, Delta and Northwest Offer Club Members Expanded Access to Lounges Worldwide
SkyTeam(r) carriers Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines announced that club members of the three airlines will receive expanded access to airport lounges worldwide beginning Dec. 1, 2005. Click Here to continue.

EMIRATES STARTS SECOND DAILY SERVICE TO NEW YORK AND OPENS DEDICATED LOUNGE AT JFK AIRPORT
Emirates is delighted to announce the start of its second daily service from Dubai to New York. Flight EK203 took off from Dubai at 01:30am and landed on time at John F Kennedy Airport at 07:10am local time. Click Here to continue.
 
   Hotel News

 

 

 

 

From iPod docking stations to Wi-Fi, rooms brim with tech delights
No longer happy with just clean sheets and heavy curtains, hotel guests are demanding more from their rooms. And hotels, looking for a way to woo customers, are happy to comply. From plasma-screen TVs to iPods, Wi-Fi in every nook and cranny of the hotel properties to VoIP-ready phones, hotels are jumping on the high-tech bandwagon in an effort to lure guests and boost revenue.

Right now, Marriott Hotels is testing its rooms of the future at the brand's Baltimore Waterfront hotel.

Select guests are offered the option to stay in a test room equipped with the hotelier's new 32-inch LG HDTV and a proprietary connectivity panel that can be used to connect audio, video, DVD, digital cameras and more.

Plug in your MP3, and you can listen through the TV's speakers and use the remote to adjust volume. Connect your laptop, and you can watch a movie and check your e-mail with the system's split-screen capability. Click Here to continue.
 

   Car Rental News

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hertz and A & I Travel Service have teamed up to present you with these special offers.
Enjoy a SIRIUS Road Trip
Rent 1, Get Two Free Days of SIRIUS satellite radio.
Offer valid when you purchase one day of SIRIUS satellite radio service on your next leisure daily, weekly or weekend rental. Valid on SIRIUS-equipped vehicles.
Refer to PC #976706
Hertz Steers You Right
Rent 1, Get Two Free days of Neverlost. Offer valid when you purchase one day of Neverlost service on your next Hertz leisure daily, weekly or weekend rental. Valid on all Neverlost-equipped vehicles.
Refer to PC# 976695
Up and Away
Free one car class upgrade on your next Hertz leisure daily, weekly or weekend rental. Valid on compact 4-door through full-size vehicle.
Refer to PC #976813
Call your A & I Travel agent to make your reservations and give them the above reference numbers.

Hertz to roll out 'Fun Collection'
Hertz plans to roll out a Fun Collection, including convertibles, coupes, roadsters and unusual SUVs. The collection will not include any four-door sedans. The Fun Collection is expected to be bookable as of Dec. 1 for rental beginning Jan. 1.

  Exceptional Customer Service

Mary McCormack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People are Talking about a & i travel

Dear Vicki,

Since HHS began working with A&I a couple of years ago, I have worked with Mary on my travel arrangements. She is absolutely delightful and so helpful. Today, however, she went way beyond the call of duty in my estimation and I wanted to let you know how wonderful she is to work with.

Kyle Callahan, the President of HHS, and Craig Mears, our COO (my boss) on Monday learned they would need to go to the Newark, NJ area for an important meeting on Thursday. Tina, Kyle's assistant, made their flight arrangements on Monday. On such short notice, there was not much available so they were booked on a flight late this afternoon to fly to LaGuardia and then drive to Newark. They have done this before and can testify that it is a nightmare going the 40 miles through NYC to get to Newark. They would have arrived late and tired!

Craig asked me this morning about 11:30 to check and see if there was any way they could change their arrangements to Newark. I called Mary, explained why we wanted to change the arrangements at such a late date--she checked but found only one option which was not a direct flight. Craig said they would just keep what they had and I told Mary this. About 2:15, Mary called me. Unbeknownst to me, she had been checking since my call to her this morning and she had found two seats that had opened up on Continental on a direct flight to Newark. We are so grateful. She went the extra mile and will make a big difference in their travel to an important meeting.

Thanks, Mary--you are the best!

Linda

Send your exceptional service experiences to ashley@aitvl.com, we would love to hear from you.

  Did you know

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helicopters aim to beat traffic to N.y. airports
A new airline company is planning to bring back scheduled helicopter shuttles linking Manhattan heliports with Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports early next year, at fares as low as $99 one way. U.S. Helicopter Corp., a publicly traded company led by airline industry veterans, received Transportation Department approval Nov. 1 to operate the service. They expect to start operations in early 2006 but have not set a specific date. A & I Travel will publish the opening date just as soon as it is set.

BBB Releases Holiday Safe Shopping Tips for Consumers

'Tis the season where more folks spend more money shopping online than any other time of year. The Better Business Bureau has again released tips for safe shopping on the web, in partnership with the National Cyber Security Association and National Consumers' League. This year's tips highlight the need to shop with known and trusted merchants as the best way to stay safe online. A press release including a dozen tips is posted at www.bbb.org/alerts/article.asp?ID=636

This year's tips also include a greater emphasis on securing computers against external threats like spyware, viruses and unwanted pop-ups. It includes links to two sites with educational tips and tools to avoid these headaches: www.onguardonline.gov and www.staysafeonline.org. Both sites are valuable tools for consumers shopping online, and include special sections about kids' use of the internet. Check them out this holiday season!

   Meeting & Incentive Management


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



You only get one shot at making a good impression!

Meetings & Incentives are time-consuming and require endless attention to detail from site selection to contract negotiations to logistics. One small oversight can sabotage the success of your event.

From Conception to Realization, our professionals will ensure your event makes a lasting positive impression.

For your complimentary consultation please contact:
Karen Young, CTC
Meetings and Incentives Manager
Impressions Corporate Meetings & Incentives (a division of A & I Travel)
901-291-1440 or 800-467-1182
karen@aitvl.com

  Travel & Leisure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


GIVE THE GIFT THEY WILL NEVER FORGET
A GIFT OF TRAVEL CERTIFICATE


Call your A & I Travel leisure specialists to order a gift of travel gift certificate from Joan, Joye, Lourdes or Rhonda at
901-291-1400 or 1-800-467-1182
vacation@aitvl.com

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A & I Travel Service | 5124 Poplar Ave., Suite 101  | Memphis, TN 38117  |  901-291-1400

Feb. 2005