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Afganistan:
terrorism You should not travel at all to the coutries colour coded red.
Economy-class fliers seem to be getting pickier about seat assignments. With planes running nearly full, "There's a much greater likelihood of ending up in a bad seat," says Simon Bramley of Travelocity, the No. 2 online travel agency. What constitutes a good airline seat is a matter of preference, but clear favorites exist. Aisle seats let fliers get up without disturbing seatmates. Some fliers covet seats in exit rows and behind partitions for their extra legroom. Seats in the first rows of coach make exiting the plane easier. Ten years ago, a human travel agent was likely to settle the matter of seat selection with the question, "Window or aisle?" Today, about three of 10 fliers buy tickets on the Internet, and Web sites offer an assortment of seats for the traveler to select as a ticket is being purchased. But don't assume that the Web site is showing every unsold seat. Carriers save preferred seats for their best customers. They also hold back seats to give gate agents flexibility. For frequent travelers, getting the right seat can be an obsession. "It's all about taking away the surprise," says Susan Daimler of SeatGuru.com, a Web site that shows detailed seating diagrams. The site is visited by 20,000 people daily, twice as many as last year, Daimler says. Location of a seat has always been important to Steve Silverman, a frequent flier from Westfield, N.J. He's been known to keep notes detailing his favorite seats and those to avoid. Now, getting the right seat is an even bigger deal. "As airlines continue to cut out flights, meals, amenities, my only savior for a more enjoyable flight is the perfect seat," Silverman says. |
Seat
strategy 1 Airlines generally block these fliers from booking seats in the first several rows in coach, in roomier exit rows and in bulkhead rows. (These are the seats directly behind dividers that segment a cabin.) Airlines hold back seats so they can reward their best customers. In addition, gate agents need flexibility in arranging last-minute seating. But the general rule to remember: The more valuable the customer, the better the choice. Seat
strategy 2 • Ask your BTI agent about seat selection before purchase. If seat selection is a high priority, check seat availability before purchase. • Reserve at time of booking. It's the best way to improve your chance of getting exactly what you want. Some travelers overlook it. • Reconfirm a day before the flight. Airlines sometimes switch aircraft, and you'll need to re-reserve your seat. Airlines try to reflect your initial seat choice when reassigning on the new plane, but they don't always succeed. Occasionally, seat assignments made months in advance disappear for no obvious reason. Airlines don't guarantee seat reservations. • Desperate? Pay more. If a better seat is so vital, buy an upgrade if available. Seat
strategy 3 Most airlines lets its two top tiers of elite fliers reserve exit-row seats when buying tickets, as well as full-fare fliers, reserve exit-row seats in advance. Some federal regulators place restrictions on who can sit in exit rows. Among the rules: The passenger must be at least 15 years old, have the strength to open the emergency door and have full mobility. Seat
strategy 4 The site illustrates about 200 cabins of jets used by 25 airlines, including American, Qantas, JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic. Two airlines might fly the same type of plane but configure seats differently. Matthew Daimler of Seattle started building the site nearly four years ago as a hobby. He was flying frequently from the West Coast to Europe in coach when he began noticing differences in the seats. He started taking notes, and eventually started the site. Fliers can find out: which seats are the emergency rows and bulkheads; where they can reduce the odds they'll sit near a baby; whether they're stuck near the toilets or the kitchen. The site identifies seats with a power port for a laptop. Cabin
charts rate seats: red for poor; yellow for "be aware" and
green for best. |
Grant Brown, Security Operations Manager, Asia-Pacific for International SOS's worldwide headquarters situated here in Singapore, spoke at the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) March 10 Executive Forum in Singapore. Among his recommendations regarding the health, safety and security for their travelling employees was the call to recognize some of the latest advancements in mobile telecommunications and integrate these into your risk management strategies. Companies today need to look at multiple channels to maintain communications with their travelling employees. With the advent of satellite global positioning system technology and other 'sci-fi' communications devices, a consenting employee could potentially be traced to within metres of his location. This could lead to a multitude of applications, including for example having biometric data communicated to medical support services, or having the location of a kidnap victim pinpointed on a digital map to assist in their recovery. Read more >
ACTE's 2005 Asia-Pacific Regional Conference will build on the tremendous success of its educational programmes offered in the last three ACTE Asia-Pacific Training Workshops. It will deliver valuable take-away content, authoritative speakers, excellent networking activities and enlightening interaction. The Asia-Pacific Regional Conference will feature professionals who will address the issues that affect travel management from a global and regional perspective; providing answers on matters that influence procurement, distribution, safety & security and many more. You will find high quality keynote addresses, industry knowledge sharing and unparalleled networking that will empower you in your role as an executive with business travel management and purchasing responsibilities. The Programme in Brief:
* Keynote presentations by leaders in business and global issues This event is expected to attract some four hundred travel professionals, at least fifty per cent of whom are corporate travel managers. To learn more, or to register, please visit www.acte.org. |
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LeMeridien Hotels
