Most Clicked ASTA SmartBrief Stories
1. Airlines push for direct links with distributors
ASTA SmartBrief | Nov 06, 2009
Several airlines are moving ahead with plans to develop direct ties with corporate travel agencies and other distributors, bypassing global distribution systems. The timeline for such efforts is unclear, but American Airlines, Air Canada, Southwest Airlines and other carriers are interested in enhancing their control of product and inventory. Management.travel (11/05)
2. Travel agents use psychology to best serve clients
ASTA SmartBrief | Nov 03, 2009
The most successful salespeople, irrespective of which industry they are in, have an astute understanding of human nature. Travel agents can use such an understanding to find the perfect trip for their clients. "If you don't truly understand what the customer is going to be getting out of their vacation, you might miss the mark in terms of what you recommend to them or what you're marketing to them," said Jack Mannix, president and CEO at Ensemble. Travel Agent (11/02)
3. AAA awards Five Diamond status to 113 hotels
ASTA SmartBrief | Nov 06, 2009
AAA's list of Five Diamond hotels grew by 10 properties this year to 113. "To achieve and maintain the highest level of hospitality during these difficult economic times is a significant accomplishment," said Michael Petrone, tourism information development director at AAA. Sixteen hotels were added to the list, and six were dropped from it. USA TODAY/Hotel Check-in blog (11/05)
4. Lonely Planet comes up with top-10 destinations list
ASTA SmartBrief | Nov 05, 2009
From El Salvador to Portugal, Lonely Planet comes up with a list of the leading destinations for 2010. Germany continues to reinvent itself and be a country where a traveler can witness history first-hand. Malaysia, meanwhile, is all about diversity. And, finally, the United States is cool once again. Sydney Morning Herald (Australia), The (11/04)
5. Air France receives first Airbus A380 double-decker jet
ASTA SmartBrief | Nov 02, 2009
Bloomberg (10/30)
6. 10 strategies to boost sales through the end of year
ASTA SmartBrief | Nov 04, 2009
Online marketer Travis Campbell has put together 10 tips to help businesses close more sales to bring a stronger finish to the year. Among his ideas: Plan a webinar series, publicize a customer case study and poll top-25 customers. Small Business Trends (11/01)
7. Recession-era travel deals about to evaporate
ASTA SmartBrief | Nov 05, 2009
As the economy improves, steep discounts on airline tickets, hotels and tours are likely to disappear. "I think we may have hit bottom," said Jan Freitag, vice president at Smith Travel Research. "There will still be deals permeating the general environment" next year, he said, "but they are not here to stay." Mexico is currently offering some of the best deals as concerns about the H1N1 influenza outbreak are still hindering demand. Wall Street Journal, The (11/04)
8. Column: Secure Flight runs into a little turbulence
ASTA SmartBrief | Nov 03, 2009
Columnist Joe Sharkey says that although there are plenty of people trying to ensure the Secure Flight program is successful, travelers are still running into some obstacles. The Transportation Security Administration program requires that all airline passengers' names on their ID and boarding passes match exactly. In the first phase of the program, which we're currently in, some leeway will be given. However, some travelers say they have already run into issues with the program because their names include characters, such as hyphens or apostrophes, that don't make it onto the boarding pass. New York Times, The (11/02)
9. Column: Agents need to put networking skills to work online
ASTA SmartBrief | Nov 04, 2009
Columnist Nolan Burris explains how Facebook and the other social-networking sites are just the 21st century's updated version of Tupperware parties. Burris says it's time for travel agents to get online, make some friends, get involved and, eventually, sell some travel. He also offers guidelines for what not to do online. "Blatantly promoting yourself will quickly become boring and annoying to your network and you'll likely just be ignored," Burris writes. Travel Research Online (11/04)
10. More affluent Americans say they intend to cruise
ASTA SmartBrief | Nov 02, 2009
The American Affluence Research Center has been tracking wealthy consumers' intentions to take a cruise for the past seven years, and it appears the tide is turning for cruises. In April, 12% of respondents said they intended to take a cruise in the next 12 months, while a more recent survey found that 13% of respondents have the same intention. The percentage of respondents who typically say they intend to cruise is around 15% to 19% and has been as high as 22%. Travel Weekly (10/30)
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