Humanitarian Travel

Humanitarian Travel is very excited to announce our latest airline with discounted international humanitarian/missionary airfares. This new contract will enhance our ability to provide additional discounts and ticketing flexibility to more destinations in Europe, Asia and Africa.

If you’re a Cliqbook user through Safe Harbors and Humanitarian Travel, Concur/Cliqbook has developed a flexible and efficient mobile application that allows travelers to have the tools and information available on your Smartphone.

Originally started in 2009, Concur Mobile was created to allow business travelers to manage their travel and expenses on the road. This now allows travelers to easily access travel information through their phone. The application can be accessed through all three major mobile operating systems: Blackberry, iPhone, and Microsoft.

Since 2009, Concur has extended its mobile platform to allow for greater information to be accessed by the traveler. The Concur Connect program will offer mobile applications from the following partners: Amtrak, FlightTrack, GateGuru, Metro, OAG, Open Table, and Taxi Magic.

For further information click here  http://www.concur.com/about/news-events/press-releases/08-09-10_4.html or you can always contact support@safeharbors.com.

Your plane pulls into the gate an hour late, causing you to miss your connecting flight. So you head to the nearest airline gate agent to resolve your problem.

Now gate agents basically come in two types. There are those who want to solve your problems and get you to your destination as quickly and smoothly as possible, and then there are those who just want to get you away from their desk. Fortunately, most fall into the first category but there are those want to kick the can down the road for someone else to deal with. Regardless of which type of agent you get, here are some tips to help your interaction and bring resolution to your problem.

Be polite but firm

Always be calm and polite when dealing with gate agents. Yelling at the agent because your plane was late won’t solve anything. Remember, they are people too and are dealing with the stress of trying to re-accommodate a lot of passengers. If you have an issue, state it clearly and ask for the agent’s help. If the agent tries to shuffle you along without resolving your problem, then politely but firmly insist that she help you.

Review all of your options

Often the agent will only give you one solution to your problem and expect you to take it. Don’t hesitate to ask if there are other options, including putting you on a different airline so that you land closer to your original arrival time.

Get a confirmed reservation

If you are dealing with a missed flight, never leave the counter without a confirmed reservation to get you to your final destination. Often the agent will say, “You can fly standby for this other flight,” and send you away. Your response should be, “Okay, I’ll try to fly standby, but I still need a confirmed reservation in case that flight is full.”

Ask for accommodations

If you are delayed significantly, be sure to ask for meal vouchers. Also, if you have to spend the night, ask for the airline to provide a hotel and meals. Many times if you don’t ask for it the agent won’t offer it.

Locate your bags

Be sure to discuss your bags with the agent before leaving the counter. If the agent rebooks you, ask that your bags be pulled and retagged to be on the same flight with you. Once you get to your new gate, check with the agent there to be sure this was done. By doing this you reduce the chance of a baggage delay.

Ask for a Supervisor

If you feel that you are not getting anywhere with the agent, ask to speak to a supervisor. Again, remain calm and polite but firmly state your situation and ask for resolution.

Most flights run smoothly, but if you do run into problems remember these six tips. Hopefully they will help you resolve your problem quicker and with less stress.

London Heathrow Airport may have gotten through the worst of the volcanic eruption in Iceland, but the airport is now subject to an eruption amongst employees.

After 75% of British Airways union members voted for a walkout due to low wages, London’s Heathrow Airport could be in danger of having to close. Europe’s busiest airport could be without a majority of its firefighters, engineers, and security staff due to the possible strike.

According to the Unite Union, British Airways employees are due for a pay raise after accepting a freeze in their pay last year. The raise has yet to come and on 22 separate occasions flights already been grounded at Heathrow due to British Airways cabin crew strikes.

The possible strike could also close terminals in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Southhampton and could put a major dent in the economy.

British Airways has offered a 1.5% increase in salary, but the Union is not satisfied with the meager raise. British Airways defends its position based upon the decrease in travel activity during the recession.

The impending strike is not yet certain. If the official strike does occur, then the Union would have to give British Airways seven days notice.

We will keep you up to date with the latest information.

As usually happens in the travel industry, when one airline makes changes, others follow suit.  Please note that British Airways has made major changes to their checked baggage allowance, for any tickets issued on or after October 7, 2009.

Customers traveling in the World Traveller economy cabin to and from the USA, Canada, Bermuda, Argentina, Mexico and the Caribbean will now have a one bag free allowance of 51lbs. (23kgs).  Customers travelling in First, Club World, Club Europe, and World Traveller Plus, in addition to Gold and Silver Executive Club members travelling in World Traveller, will retain their existing cabin allowance.
 
Many of Ministry Travel clients take advantage of the ‘one additional bag’ for missionary purposes.  The new checked baggage policy will affect this.  Previously, each person was permitted 2 checked bags and 1 additional bag for missionary/humanitarian purposes.  The new policy will guarantee one free checked bag and one free additional bag (51 pounds or less) at no additional cost.  A 3rd checked bag may be granted at the check-in counter without additional fees, depending on the load and weight limits of the plane.  British Airways will have the ability at check-in to waive the fee for the 3rd bag or charge the fee.  Please know that the 3rd checked bag is NOT guaranteed to be free. 
 
To avoid any changes in the current policy, be sure to purchase all tickets prior to October 7th.  Contact your Ministry Travel specialist today with questions.

In October, the Northwest Airlines WorldPerks program will officially merge into the Delta SkyMiles program. As a SkyMiles member, your frequent flyer number and login will remain the same and you don’t have to do anything.

Given the significant challenges in combining two programs currently located on very different technology platforms, you will experience a few changes. Effective October 1st, your flight miles will no longer post immediately at departure but may take up to 24 hours after your flight departure. The merchandise redemption program (Medallion® Marketplace) will temporarily close on September 25th, but will return by year-end with a broader selection of products and offerings.

And, good news – on October 1st, Platinum and Gold Medallion members will no longer pay a $20 per ticket service charge when purchasing tickets via reservations or at our airport locations. Plus, all members will no longer pay a $25 per ticket partner handling charge when issuing Award Tickets. These new elite benefits and fee reductions are part of our continued effort to build a best-in-class loyalty program. For more information, please visit delta.com/what2expect and  delta.com/integrationtimeline for a specific timeline.