Australia – Tropical Cyclone Nathan
Category 3 Tropical Cyclone Nathan made landfall between Cape Flattery and Cape Melville in Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula early March 20. Nathan has weakened and is projected to be a Tropical Low when it reaches the Gulf of Carpentaria early March 21, but is forecast to regain strength to a Category 1 or 2 storm before making landfall a second time in East Arnhem Land March 22. Current storm path projections indicate that Nathan will pass south of Darwin late March 23-early March 24 before entering the Timor Sea. Nathan is bringing heavy rains and strong winds to a large swath of northern and northeastern Queensland. Flash flooding is possible. Flight disruptions at Cairns have been minimal.
JFK – Construction Causing Delays
On March 15, 2015, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey started a runway improvement project at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. This infrastructure investment will continue through the end of 2015 and will allow the airport to handle aircraft more efficiently, ultimately reducing congestion and delays at JFK. During this construction, taxiways near the JetBlue terminal will have limited access, and one of JFK’s major runways will be closed for any departures or arrivals for several months. In the first few days of construction delays have reached 4 hours at times.
France – Possible Rail Strike April 9th
National rail strike affecting private and public workers has been called for April 9. Expect train delays or cancellations.
Spain – Protest Marches March 21st
Anti-austerity activists are organizing a day of protest in central Madrid March 21. Marches will begin in cities across Spain and proceed to the capital. The separate events will converge on Plaza de Colon beginning at 1800. Tens of thousands of people could join the action. Expect severe traffic disruptions.
Turkey – Spring Festival March 20-23
Expect heightened security and associated disruptions during the Nowruz (Persian New Year, or Spring festival) celebrations from March 20th-23rd.
Wales – Smog Alert
Smog blowing in from Paris has caused air pollution and hazy visibility levels to be very high across Wales. Smog is expected to remain at a raised level over the weekend. People with respiratory conditions are urged to limit time outdoors. Smog in other areas of the UK has greatly improved.
UK – Allow More Time for Customs
New border checks come into force on April 8, with security officers checking every passport. Travelers are advised to allow extra time for their journeys, as delays could take twice as long.
Lufthansa – Pilot Strike Extended
Lufthansa pilot strike has been extended through Saturday targeted on long-haul flights from Germany. An estimated two-thirds of these flights will be cancelled.
Argentina – Transport Strike March 31st
General strike by 21 transport unions covering air, sea, and land transport has been called for March 31.
Do airline seat maps accurately show all available seats?
No, not always. It is up to each airline’s discretion what to show and often this means showing only a few available seats at a time. Why, you ask? Several reasons – 1) this is proprietary information that could be exploited by competing airlines, and 2) these days an empty seat is often seen as a service to be sold for a fee. Nervous flyers who don’t see an available seat they want at the time the ticket is purchased are more likely to pay for a better seat assignment, which means more revenue for the airline. It might help to remember that when you purchase an airline ticket you are purchasing space on the plane in the class you selected, but that does not entitle you to a particular seat or even a seat of your own choosing. However, with the exception of Southwest which doesn’t have assigned seats at all, the airline will always assigned you a seat – sometimes a good seat, sometimes not – for free at the time of check-in or departure.
Submit a question
- Akron, Ohio, was the first city to use police cars
- The first traffic light was used in Cleveland, in August, 1914
- Cincinnati, Ohio, boasted the nation’s first professional fire department
- 50% of the U.S. population lives within a 500-mile radius of Columbus, Ohio
- Cleveland became the world’s first city to be lighted electrically in 1879
- At 7, Ohio has given us the second-most number of U.S. Presidents born in a state
- The Cincinnati Reds were the first professional baseball team
- The first concrete street in America was built in Bellefontaine, Ohio, and is still in use
Visa Rule changes
Egypt
With the exception of group tours, all visitors to Egypt are now required to obtain a visa from an Egyptian consulate prior to arrival. Most applications will be processed within 10 business days. In order to obtain a visa, tourists will need to provide two 2-by-2 inch passport photos, a passport that is valid for at least another six months and has an empty visa page, and a $15 fee, payable in cash or money order only.
Ethiopia
Effective immediately Ethiopia requires all business travelers to obtain pre-authorization from the Ministry of Immigration and Nationality Affairs in Addis Ababa in order to obtain a visa.
Latvia
Effective immediately the Latvian consulate in the United States requires applicants to appear in person to request a visa.
China
Effective immediately Canadian nationals are eligible for a visa valid up to 10 years to China for business, tourism and family visits. There are no additional requirements or processing extensions to obtain these visas.
American and US Airways Closer to Loyalty Program Merger
Within the next 30 days the US Airways Dividend Miles® program will merge into the AAdvantage® program. Dividend Miles award bookings and mileage upgrade requests will be disabled a few days before the programs combine to allow the airlines to transition accounts to the AAdvantage program. If travelers plan to redeem Dividend Miles for an upcoming trip, they are encouraged to book now. Once the programs are combined, Dividend Miles will be converted into AAdvantage miles, and members will be able to redeem AAdvantage miles with American. Even after moving to one loyalty program, it’s important to note that American and uS Airways will still operate as two separate airlines for much of 2015.
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.
Debbie Montgomery from our Meeting Travel Team
“Just a shout out to Debbie for her help in the last few years. I had to travel at the last minute this week and everything was done perfectly.”
Travel Place Presents A Perfect Romantic Getaway
Your soothing place is waiting for YOU!" Ask us for suggestions!
