Travel Agent - November 10, 2008 - (Page S3)

and ﬁrst-class sections. Following are just a few examples: In November 2007, United Airlines became the first U.S. airline to offer 180degree, lie-flat beds in business class on overseas ﬂights. More recently, United’s, ﬁrst and business class customers ﬂying between New York and California have been snoozing it up with the renowned Westin Heavenly Bed blankets and pillows. (Westin launched the Heavenly Bed concept at its hotels in 1999 it spurred most hotel companies — and now one airline — to believe that it is indeed “all about the bed.”) Air Canada has introduced Executive First Suites with full lie-ﬂat beds on select routes and is revamping its entire ﬂeet to provide these Suites in all of its Executive First cabins on Air Canada ﬂights. Continental’s BusinessFirst sleeper seat on its Boeing 777 aircraft reclines to a nearﬂat 170 degrees and measures 22 inches wide, making it one of the widest business class seats available. Delta’s new international BusinessElite class featured specially designed ergonomic In-ﬂight entertainment choices in business class are also superior, with AVOD (audio and video on demand) pretty much standard. Many airlines now feature a display built into the seatback or provide portable DVD players on request. Power sockets for laptops are often provided and Internet access may be available too. After landing, business class (and ﬁrst class) passengers will be the ﬁrst to deplane and ﬁrst on the immigration and customs lines, helping to ensure that business travelers get to their meeting on time and unhurried, and that leisure travelers have that much more time to enjoy their vacation. For some speciﬁc examples of what your long-haul clients can expect when ﬂying in First or Business Class cabins, see the proﬁles of Cathay Paciﬁc and EVA Air on pages 4 and 6, respectively. South African Airways become a specialist After you’ve ﬁnished the Business & First Class Specialist 2.0 course, take the ﬁnal exam at www.tauniv.com to earn your diploma and qualify for Specialist beneﬁts. Thai Airways Korean Airways seats with 60” of pitch and recline a full 160°. The cabins were redesigned to provides a more spacious seating conﬁguration with no middle seats, and therefore more personal space. FLYING ‘BUSINESS’ FOR PLEASURE Your clients don’t have to be traveling on business to take advantage of the perks of ﬂying business class — which in many cases is becoming “the new ﬁrst class.” Your job is to show them the value of spending more for a more comfortable and enjoyable ﬂight, especially in light of the reduced amenities and service of many airlines’ economy sections these days. Selling point: Although business class fares may run up to four times more than typical economy tariffs, the perks are similar to ﬁrst class, which could run them more than 10 times the economy fare. If they are frequent ﬂyers and are ﬂexible about departure dates, they can use their miles to upgrade to business and pay considerably less than that. However, they will likely have to book well in advance to get the ﬂights/ destinations they want. Business class travel starts at the departure airport, where these passengers usually have a separate check-in area (or their own check-in row), and are among the ﬁrst to get on the plane. While waiting to board, they can relax in a business class lounge that offers drinks, snacks, newspapers and, increasing, access to the Internet. Some of the best lounges even offer showers or rooms where one can lie down and rest. Business class lounges are particularly attractive these days when security and other concerns require clients to check in hours before their ﬂight departs. Among the best such lounges, according to Skytrax, are Virgin Atlantic/Heathrow, Cathy Paciﬁc/ Hong Kong, Qantas/Sydney, Malaysia Airlines/Kuala Lumpur, China Airlines/Taiwan and Asiana/Seoul. dining & entertainment Food and drink in business class is also superior to economy class fare. Clients can select from several menu choices, with individual courses served on china, not plastic, accompanied by complimentary drinks. Business & First Class SPECIALIST 2.0 3 http://www.tauniv.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - November 10, 2008

Travel Agent - November 10, 2008 Reality Check Online Now Contents Contributors From the Editor Special Supplemement: Business & First Class Travel Specialist 2.0 Hawaii: Art Lovers will Appreciate the Islands’ Offerings Europe: Barcelona is Blooming with Terrific Hotels Pacific/Asia: French Colonial and Asian Styles Blend in Hanoi Alaska: Adventure Abounds In and Around Juneau Canada: Edmonton is Canada’s “Festival City” Las Vegas: Where to Find Inner Peace in Sin City Central & South America: Buenos Aires Brings European Flavor to Argentina Caribbean, The Bahamas & Bermuda: Romance and History Meet in St. Kitts The Slot Spot River Cruises: European Itineraries Offer Convenience and Value Cover Story: Selling Mexico Car Rentals: Tapping an Underappreciated Revenue Source Consortia Profile: Ensemble Travel Group Launches New Initiatives and Tools Luxury Travel Expo WESTA Offers Growth Opportunities for Agents Hawaii Gets New Inter-Island Service Caribbean, Mexico Ramp Up Resort Plans Classified Marketplace In the Spotlight Agent Access Editorial Index Advertising Index

Travel Agent - November 10, 2008

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