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Auto Europe and CWT Team Up to Bring Clients Free Cell Phones. Carlson Wagonlit Travel clients can now receive a free cell phone in conjunction with their Auto Europe car rental. Wherever a client travels, callers will always be able to reach them. Clients are sent their pre-assigned number prior to receiving their phones, which are also equipped with voice mail. Both rental and activation fees are waived, but clients are responsible for the cost of any calls. Here’s how it works:
-The traveler is faxed a pre-assigned phone number 48 hours prior to receiving their phone.
-The phone package is shipped to the client: a Nokia GSM pocket-size cellular phone, two rechargeable batteries, battery charger, car charger and full instructions (weighs under two pounds).
-Upon returning from trip, the client simply calls 1-800 GO FEDEX and ships the phone back in the provided FedEx addressed envelope (an additional business day is provided on the rental to return the phones). Return delivery is free for rentals of two weeks or more. Should the rental be of less time, the traveler is responsible for the return delivery charges.
-Airtime rates vary by country, so specific country rates should be requested at the time of the reservation.
The Department of Transportation review of airport practices and how they affect competition is underway. Officials said they have chosen 13 airports for closer "case study" scrutiny: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Denver, Dallas, Charlotte, Salt Lake City, Houston, Baltimore, Phoenix and San Jose. These airports were chosen because they reflect a cross-section of regions, airlines and circumstances, including both fortress hubs and airports that are dominated by one or two carriers but still manage to attract new entrants. Two- or three-person teams will visit the airports to learn what they’ve been doing to either discourage or encourage new entry. According to the DOT, "This is not an investigation...it is a way for us to understand airport decision-making." The DOT hopes to finish its study by mid-February and issue its final report this spring.
The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport is commissioning its own expert analyses to define barriers to competition and quantify the benefits of a hub. The airport says existing studies by airlines, trade groups, and government groups are conflicting. Airport officials have called on travelers to "support other airlines" (airlines other than Northwest) in Minneapolis if they want them to stay. MSP says it will also monitor service changes and communicate choices to the public, and is accelerating the construction of 12 new gates that can be used by other airlines. Northwest’s position? "Anything that educates the public on the benefits of a hub and the nature of a competitive business is a good thing.
Look to Airport Web Sites. Several of the airports are developing web sites to offer traffic updates, ground transportation options, airport restaurant offerings and more. Among them are:
Atlanta: www.atlanta-airport.com
Dallas: www.dfwairport.com
Miami: www.miami-airport.com
Denver: www.info.denver.denver.co.us
Detroit: www.metroairport.com
Las Vegas: www.mccarran.com
It’s been nearly one year since airlines began rewriting their carry-on policies. New policies allow fewer items aboard and have more stringent measurement regulations for those items. Many business travelers favored some changes so as to improve on-time arrivals and provide passenger safety. Today many travelers are feeling the frustration of these new and varied policies, and the wide-range of attitudes regarding enforcement. Dave Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, uses the term "combat situation" to describe what is happening at some airports. "Confrontations between travelers and ticket agents it can get very ugly," he says.
Depending on the carrier, the biggest changes include the demise of the full-size garment bag as a usual carry-on; and counting briefcases, laptops, and even purses as a carry-on. Flying first or business class may or may not alter the requirements. And most carriers are requiring smaller roller bags, a switch that has sent the $6 billion luggage industry back to the drawing board to redesign their bags to meet the new codes. The director of design at Samsonite says, "It’s the biggest change to happen since wheels."