Belgium – Strike Affecting Airport
Workers at Belgium’s biggest airport near Brussels are set to strike on Dec 8th and Dec 15th. ABVV trade union says the airport will be closed to traffic on both days.
France – Rail Strike
A countrywide French rail strike by train drivers from the CGT and SUD-Rail unions began at 7p on December 4th and will continue until 7a on December 7th. Train travelers are urged to reconfirm reservations and status.
Northern Ireland – Terror Threat
Dissident republicans are planning a Christmas terror blitz in Northern Ireland, a senior police commander has warned. Officers were ramping up security levels in a bid to thwart violent attacks. “At this stage we know, we believe it is a strong possibility, that a number of those groups are intent on carrying out attacks across Northern Ireland. That is why we are putting put this public appeal for patience, for vigilance, for information and support over the Christmas period.”
Micronesia and Philippines – Typhoon Hagupit
Typhoon Hagupit continues to strengthen as it moves northwestward in the western Pacific Ocean near Yap and Palau. Hagupit will continue moving northwestward through the Pacific Ocean over the next several days as it approaches the Philippines. Rain, strong winds,storm surge, and flash flooding of coastal areas are expected through December 7th.
Sometimes when I go to purchase a ticket I have placed on hold in Deem the button to purchase it is grayed out. Why does this happen?
This occurs in instances where the fare changed between the time you placed it on hold and the time you tried to purchase it. The Deem system does not permit a user to complete a purchase if this is the case. Sometimes the difference is a matter of pennies, but other times it could be hundreds of dollars. Part of the reason for this functionality is to give an agent the opportunity to see if the “24 hour rule” applies. The 24-hour rule says that an airline must honor a quoted fare for exactly 24 hours provided certain conditions are met. For example, it has to be at least 7 days before departure, all fare rules must still be met (i.e. if it required a 14 day advance purchase it is still at least 14 days before departure), and there have been no changes to the reservation. So, if this happens to you, you have two options:
- Cancel the first reservation online and start fresh with a new reservation, which will be at the new price.
- Call Travel-On (or the after-hours service if it’s evening) for assistance at which point the agent will do one of two things depending on the situation:
a) Call the airline to invoke the 24-hour rule if applicable, or
b) Issue a new ticket at the new price.
- Disneyland is home to numerous feral cats which are tolerated as they provide a nifty pest control service
- The Matterhorn roller coaster at Disneyland has a secret basketball court inside it for Disneyland staff to use
- From groundbreaking to opening day, Disneyland was built in just 365 days
- Disneyland does not sell chewing gum
- The Disneyland monorail, opened in 1959, was the first monorail in the Western Hemisphere
- Disneyland issues, maintains, and cleans costumes for more than 15,000 cast members, who exchange more than 20,000 garments for cleaning each week during the summer
- Disney’s family had a private apartment above the firehouse on Main Street, which was connected to the ground level by a fire pole that Walt frequently used in the mornings
Change to Delta Mileage Program
Beginning January 1, 2015, a new 250,000-mile allowance will go into effect for transfers from Skymiles partner programs. The maximum amount of points transferrable into a given Skymiles account will be 250,000 miles (or equivalent) per partner during each calendar year.
Russia to Implement Fingerprinting for Visa Applicants
The Russian Foreign Ministry and the Federal Security Service have been tasked by a new presidential order to collect the fingerprints of all foreign citizens who require entry visas. The new procedure is slated to take effect Dec. 10, but will initially be launched at Russian missions in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Myanmar, and Namibia, and also at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport (VKO). The Foreign Ministry proposed this biometric registration in reply to reports of the planned introduction of universal fingerprinting of Russians wishing to enter the European Union in 2015. Past, similar orders to Russian diplomatic missions have been poorly implemented and have caused great confusion, both on the part of the mission staff and of those wishing to apply for a visa.
Throughout Travel-On, our employees are M.A.D ( Making A Difference) for our clients. Many of you have noticed and shared your thoughts. Recently, the following note was received from a client.
Jamie Witt from our International Travel Team
“We are grateful for your persistence and flexibility helping ensure smooth travel for our company’s valued counterparts.”
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