Welcome to the Spring edition of Yale Travel Services News:
What's new at Orbitz for Business
Acela Express and Regional Temporary Service Cancellation Affecting Boston-Springfield-New Haven-New York Service Beginning June 14 through June 17
... more ...
Did you know?
Acela Express ... more ...
Car Rental ... more ...
Airlines start charging for second checked bag
Northwest Airlines has become the fourth major airline with plans to start charging $25 extra for a second checked bag ... more ...
Passport rule for land and sea travelers postponed to June 2009
Those traveling to the U.S. by land and sea won't have to present a passport until ... more ...
New Procedures in place for booking the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale
Travel Services has negotiated a preferred Yale rate of $145 per night at the Omni ... more ...
And the winner is……
Travel Services is pleased to announce the results of Yale's ... more ...
March 2008 survey results ... more ...
What's new at Orbitz for Business
ORBITZ FOR MEETINGS
Planning a business meeting can be on par with planning a wedding when it comes to the time and effort involved. But not anymore. Orbitz for Meetings will make meeting planning and the many elements associated with it easier for travel administrators, as well as for those travelers needing to book travel to attend a meeting or event.
Through an alliance with global meetings management provider StarCite, the Orbitz for Meetings tool will enable travel administrators to single-handedly create meetings.
Orbitz for Meetings will streamline the planning and booking process, with the ability to invite meeting participants, associate travel with a meeting and much more. Orbitz for Meetings integration with StarCite’s Attendee Management technology will offer functionality unique in the marketplace. These exclusive features will allow more meeting attendees to easily book and manage their travel online and will allow meeting planner improved control and visibility into their events.
Further details will be coming in the next few weeks, with a targeted rollout in May.
If you are interested in learning more about the Orbitz for Meetings tool, please sign up here.
Southwest Airlines
Orbitz for Business is targeting the launch of Southwest inventory in Orbitz for Business beginning second quarter 2008. Adding Southwest Airlines content to OFB will bring another low-cost carrier and greater airline selection to our travel program.
Orbitz Introduces Special Fares
Always striving to help University travelers identify new means for cost savings, OFB has recently added Orbitz Special Fares, which are now available for bookings on Orbitz for Business. Orbitz Special Fares offer lower, more competitive pricing on travel from the U.S. to a variety of international destinations. These fares are negotiated with international carriers and offer a discounted rate that is less than the comparable published fare booked through Orbitz for Business.
Orbitz Special Fares are currently available for bookings on:
 Mexicana Airlines |
Indian Airlines |
Air India |
Silver Jet |
Orbitz Worldwide is in ongoing negotiations with a number of other carriers in an effort to secure Orbitz Special Rates.
Please note the restrictions that may apply to Orbitz Special Fares:
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Changes to a Special Fare ticket, if permitted, must be made prior to the departure of the first flight |
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Orbitz Special Fare tickets may not be eligible for frequent flyer mileage accrual and/or upgrades |
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Orbitz Special Fare e-tickets are not eligible for e-ticket tracking |
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Acela Express and Regional Temporary Service Cancellation Affecting Boston-Springfield-New Haven-New York Service Beginning June 14 through June 17
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For four days, beginning June 14 through June 17, Amtrak will replace the movable span of the nearly 90-year-old Thames River Bridge, located in Groton, Conn. To accommodate this project, service cancellations and adjustments will be made beginning May 27 through June 21.
This is the final stage of a multi-year project designed to improve the reliability of the bridge, reduce the chance of operational failures and minimize train delays. Starting May 1, more information on this project will be available on Amtrak.com.
During this four-day track outage, Amtrak will also perform an around-the-clock maintenance “blitz” between Boston and New Haven that will provide passengers with a smoother ride and significantly improve the reliability of the railroad. |
Shown above is a rendering of the completed Thames River Bridge. |
June 14 through June 17: Acela Express and Regional Service Cancellations
Acela Express Cancellations
- Acela Express service will be cancelled between New York and Boston.
Regional Cancellations
- All Regional trains will be cancelled between Boston and New Haven.
- Some Regional trains will originate/terminate in New York.
- Certain Regional trains that normally operate east of New Haven to Boston will, instead, operate from New Haven to Springfield only, via the Springfield Shuttle route.
- For revised schedule information, please visit Amtrak.com, call 1-800-USA-RAIL, or speak with a ticket agent.
Shore Line East
- Shore Line East service will not be affected.
Alternate Ground Transportation Options
For intercity scheduled bus service between New York-New Haven-New London-Providence-Boston, customers may contact Greyhound Lines, Inc., or other transportation carriers. Amtrak has notified both companies of this upcoming rail service outage.
Greyhound Lines, Inc.
1-800-231-2222
www.greyhound.com
June 18: Regional Trains 95 and 171 Service Changes
On June 18, Regional Train 95 will originate in Springfield and Train 171 will originate in New Haven. All other trains will operate according to the published schedules.
Possible Delays: May 27 through June 21
Before and after the rail outage, starting May 27 through June 21, passengers traveling between Providence and New Haven may experience minor delays as trains operate along a single track through the work area.
We appreciate your patronage and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience. For reservations and information, please visit Amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL.
Did you know?
Acela Express
In 2007, over 900 university travelers took advantage of Yale’s discount on Amtrak’s Acela Express service to Washington, DC, generating a savings of nearly $40,000.
Another 600 travelers took advantage of the 50% discount off the upgrade to business class on regional service, resulting in an additional $8,000 savings to the university. To obtain these discounts please call OFB for your Amtrak reservations. The discount and upgrade program is not available when booking directly with Amtrak.
Car Rental
The car rental rates displayed in Orbitz for Business include collision damage and supplemental liability insurance in their rates for business rentals in the continental United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Travelers are cautioned to be aware that lower rates found on other consumer web sites may look attractive but can end up being more expensive in the long run. Travel Services and the Risk Department strongly urge you to book the three preferred suppliers that are found on OFB (or use the respective Yale ID number when booking car rentals on other sites) to avoid needless deductibles charged to your department and potentially costly insurance claims paid by the university. For further details on the policy and procedure covering car rental insurance, please click here.
Airlines start charging for second checked bag
Northwest Airlines has become the fourth major airline with plans to start charging $25 extra for a second checked bag. The airline says it will begin charging the fee—which will not be included in airfares—for passengers traveling on or after May 5. Northwest Airlines' Silver, Gold and Platinum WorldPerks® Elite customers, SkyTeam Elite customers and passengers booked in full fare classes (Y or B) may still check two bags free of charge. Customers booked in First Class can continue to check up to three bags free of charge.
Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Continental Airlines and US Airways announced similar policies earlier this year.
Passport rule for land and sea travelers postponed to June 2009
Those traveling to the U.S. by land and sea won't have to present a passport until June 1, 2009, according to a ruling issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.
The ruling follows the congressional passage of a December bill ordering a delay until at least June 2009 of the passport requirement for land and sea travelers.
The changes that took place in January marked the beginning of a transition period intended to prepare the public for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) implementation on June 1, 2009. This common sense approach is designed to lessen the impact on individuals and allow time for travelers to become accustomed to the change and obtain the appropriate documents.
Upon implementation of the WHTI, travelers will be required to present a single WHTI-compliant document denoting both citizenship and identity when seeking entry into the U.S. through a land or sea border. Standardized, secure and reliable documentation will enable Customs and Border Protection officers to quickly and accurately identify travelers at land and sea ports of entry. The WHTI secure document requirement is already in place for all air travelers.
Both the EDL and the Passport Card will contain security features to prevent counterfeiting and will include vicinity RFID to help speed the entry process at the land borders.
The WHTI land and sea final rule and a notice on the Washington State EDL will be sent to the Federal Register for publication. Specific information on documentation requirements may be found at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/. For general information on the WHTI or other travel-related programs, visit www.dhs.gov or www.travel.state
New Procedures in place for booking the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale
Travel Services has negotiated a preferred Yale rate of $145 per night at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale. This rate represents a 42-44% discount off the Omni standard rates of $249-$259. This extremely discounted rate is available for rooms that are booked online through Orbitz for Business. By eliminating administrative expenses and the manual process of handling telephone reservations, the hotel is able to reduce their costs and offer this very attractive online discount. Consultants and contractors visiting the university may still call the Omni and request a discounted Yale University rate of $155 which is deeply discounted at 38-40% off the standard corporate rates.
When searching for the $145 rate on Orbitz for Business, users will need to specify “all hotel companies” in their hotel search (instead of specifying the Omni chain). Users will then have the option of choosing whether the charge will go on the credit card placed in the reservation record or whether the guest will pay with their own credit card.
Click here for detailed instructions
And the winner is……
Travel Services is pleased to announce the results of Yale's quarterly travel survey, and the winner of a $25 Gift Certificate to Café George.
Congratulations to Jackie Sappleton-Henry of the Boyer Center whose name was drawn from all those who completed the survey!
To be entered into our next quarterly drawing, please watch your email for our survey. Each survey response will go into a quarterly raffle drawing for a $25.00 Gift Certificate to a local restaurant or establishment. Winners will be contacted.
March 2008 survey results
How would you describe yourself?
Orbitz for Business survey conducted April 2008:
sent to 1,031 users with 268 responses, 26% response rate |
For whom do you typically
purchase travel?
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When making reservations on Orbitz
for Business do you find the tool:
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Exceeds Expectations |
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Fully Meets |
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Generally meets |
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Does not meet all Expectations |
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Fails to meet |
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92% of the respondents stated that making reservations
on the OFB booking tool meets their expectations |
The reservation agents at Orbitz for Business are knowledgeable, courteous, and professional when I need to call for assistance:
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Exceeds Expectations |
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Fully Meets |
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Generally meets |
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Does not meet all Expectations |
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Fails to meet |
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39% of the respondents do not call OFB for assistance but of those that do, nearly three quarters responded that their expectations are fully met, with 13% responding that OFB agents exceed their expectations |
Orbitz
for Business generally offers low air fares and competitive rates:
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Exceeds Expectations |
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Fully Meets |
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Generally meets |
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Does not meet all Expectations |
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Fails to meet |
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90% of the respondents feel that OFB offers competitive air fares,
up from 88% in last survey |
Overall, I feel using Orbitz
for Business is a positive experience:
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Exceeds Expectations |
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Fully Meets |
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Generally meets |
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Does not meet all Expectations |
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Fails to meet |
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93% of the respondents feel that using OFB is a positive experience, up 1% from last quarter's survey
(As of 1-14-08)
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