Day of Giving
Italy – Strikes Jul 20 and 21
Pilots and flight attendants belonging to the 3 labour unions, call for a 24-hr strike on July 20th, across all airlines operating in the country, protesting their exclusion from talks on the Etihad-Alitalia deal. Public transportation workers will stage a 24-hour strike in Rome on July 21 potentially affecting bus, tram, trolley, metro, and suburban rail lines, but not Trenitalia.
China and Vietnam – Super Typhoon Rammasun
Super Typhoon Rammasun continues to track northwestward towards China’s Hainan Island. The storm, currently packing maximum sustained winds of 135 knots (155 mph), is expected to weaken slightly as it makes landfall on the southeastern corner of Guangdong Province’s Leizhou Peninsula later that evening. Rammasun is then expected to hit the border of northern Vietnam and southwestern Guangxi, China, early July 19. Heavy rains and powerful winds will cause flash flooding, storm surge flooding, and landslides. Localized transport, power, and telecommunications disruptions will probably occur. Flight delays, diversions, and cancellations are likely at Haikou Meilan and Sanya Phoenix international airports on Hainan, at regional airports in Guangxi and Guangdong, and at Haiphong Airport in northern Vietnam. Rail service disruptions are also likely in affected areas.
Japan and Taiwan – Tropical Storm
Tropical Depression 10W has strengthened into a tropical storm early July 18 and is forecast to become a typhoon by July 20. Projections indicate that the system will pass just east of Miyako-jima with maximum sustained winds of 95 knots (109 mph) before moving into the East China Sea early July 23. While not currently projected to make landfall, the system will likely bring strong winds, heavy rain, and significant coastal surge to the Ryukyu Island chain and Taiwan as well as in the Philippines Batanes and Babuyan island chains.
Ukraine – Flights Diverted
European and US aviation authorities have banned overflights of the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine following reports that Malaysia Airlines 17 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over an area where commercial airliners had been safely flying since the start of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine in April. The airspace in is on a primary flight route between Europe and South and Southeast Asia; most flights that would normally fly over eastern Ukraine are diverting to a more southerly route over the Black Sea. North-south flights between western Russia and Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean destinations are also diverting around Ukrainian airspace. Associated arrival delays should be comparatively minor for most international flights. Flights between Kyiv and cities in the Caspian region and Central Asia are more likely to be affected because planes will have to fly a considerable distance to divert around the region where the suspected shootdown occurred. There have been no other reports of flight disruptions at international airports serving Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Dnipropetrovsk.
I have heard that there are multiple ways to get into TSA Pre-check and they don’t all give you the same chances of being selected. Which was is best?
There are 6 possible ways to receive the benefits of TSA Pre-check on a given flight. Regardless of which method you use no one is guaranteed to be selected for Pre-check benefits 100% of the time. However, the method you use to access the program does have a lot to do with how frequently you are selected. Here are the six methods in descending order of likelihood (most likely to least likely):
- Enroll in Global Entry which automatically confers TSA Pre-check membership
- Apply directly to TSA Pre-Check
- Use the DoD number on your CAC card as your Known Traveler Number (military members only)
- Invitation from your frequent flyer program
- “TSA Risk Assessment” – using the Secure Flight Data already included in your reservation TSA may pre-select you for a particular flight
- “Managed Inclusion” – when TSA Pre-check lanes aren’t full officers may divert some travelers to those lanes based on observed behavior”
The Empire State Building
- The Empire State Building was officially opened by President Hoover pressing a button in Washington DC to turn the lights on in the building in New York
- The Empire State Building has its own zip code
- Due to the affects of the Great Depression, construction of the Empire State Building cost less than half the anticipated amount
- The Empire State Building has been sold 4 times
- At 41 years, the length of time the Empire State Building was the tallest in the world, is surpassed only by the Strasburg Cathedral at 227 ending in 1874
- The Observation Decks generates more profit for the building owners that lease of office space
- The Empire State Building is the tallest LEED-certified building in the U.S.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Changes to Children Traveling to South Africa
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has issued changes to the documentation required for all children under the age of 18 traveling to South Africa, or transiting South Africa with a transit visa. These changes go into effect on October 1, 2014. Click here for details.
TRAVEL-ON EMPLOYEES MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Throughout Travel-On, our employees are M.A.D ( Making A Difference) to our clients. Many of you have noticed and have told us just how M.A.D they are.
- Recently, Ricardo Diaz from Travel-On Client Onsite Travel Team received this note from a client.
Ricardo took the initiative to contact Air France to obtain a lower airfare that had lapsed yesterday. He was able to do so, which saved the Organization about $2,000 and enabled me to fly in business class because of an injury. We are fortunate to have someone like him who knows the ins and outs of airline travel and is willing to assist staff. Good job Ricardo!
TRAVEL WARNINGS
TRAVEL TIPS
JOKE OF THE WEEK
We’re lost, but we’re making good time.
- Yogi Berra