INFocus Newsletter1

NOVEMBER 2013 NEWSLETTER

The value of travel policies

Which airlines now allow PEDs?

PAGE 2PAGE 2

HOTELS LEAD ROAD-WARRIORINNOVATION

PAGE 3

PAGE 5

HOTELS LEAD ROAD-WARRIOR INNOVATION

PAGE 3

PAGE 5

INFocus Newsletter2

By Joe Brancatelli, The Business Journals

After years of debate and delay, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has finally lifted its ban on the use of personal electronics (PED) devices under 10,000 feet. The irony of last week's decision, which requires airlines to certify that their aircraft are not threatened by electronic interference? The first three carriers to get FAA approval don't have in-flight WiFi (JetBlue Airways) or don't have WiFi that functions below 10,000 feet (Delta Air Lines and American Airlines).

This is what passes for "innovation" in the airline industry, which hasn't had genuinely new-to-the-skies products since JetBlue introduced free live television in 2000 and American Airlines pioneered in-flight WiFi in 2008. Airlines are much better at creating new fees than fostering new ideas.

Hotels, on the other hand, are constantly trying to change the game. The worthy new ideas—as well as gimmicks such as pumping scents in the lobby—never stop coming.

So while we wait for our seatbacks and tray tables to come to the upright position and listen to the flight attendants explain

whether we can or can't use Kindles, laptops, tablets and smartphones on this specific flight on this particular airline at this exact moment, let's examine some of the progress that the hotel industry has made lately.

Lobbying for changeThe mainstream media may still

fawn over grandiose, ostentatious and ridiculously large hotel lobbies, but the present and future belongs to entryways that are much smaller and dramatically more transactional. Out are acres of empty space. In are coffee shops, busy bars and everything from cozy conversation areas to mini-business centers with computers, Internet access and video screens that monitor weather, flights and other breaking business-travel news bites.

The transition has been going on for years and is now nearly complete. So-called focused-service hotel chains routinely offer lobby-level grab-and-go convenience shops where you can pick up a salad, a sandwich or even full meals to heat in an in-room microwave oven. Traditional full-service hotels

have added everything from intimate cocktail bars to dining spots where you can eat alone or graze with other road warriors at communal tables. It's all been a happy confluence: Travelers get the coffee-bar intimacy they crave and hotels get to convert empty space into revenue-generating retail.

The desk abidesIn remaking their lobbies, hotels also

decided that travelers no longer wanted traditional front desks. They just forgot to talk to us about it. Most travelers still prefer a central location where we can go and check with a clerk about hotel matters or even the lay of the land in the outside world. So while many chains have indeed replaced large and imposing desks with pods or podiums that allow the hotel staff to come out and interact, more traditional arrangements have survived, too. Some chains that totally eliminated a front desk seem to be retreating and their once-roving first-contact staffs now also have a central area to work. "We probably pushed this

Opinion: Hotels lead realroad-warrior innovation

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

November 2013 3

The Value of Business Travel Policies

Effective management of your company travel policy is vital to decreasing costs. The creation and compliance of consistently updated travel policies will assist your company on the issues of cost containment, employee compliance, traveler safety and security (and satisfaction), corporate responsibility, and legal protection.

TSI is able to provide policy creation assistance, along with a variety of other

solutions to best control your travel spend and deliver guaranteed savings.

• Pending trip approval• Multiple levels of approvers• Approval or notification option• Tiered approval levels• Price approval levels• Air, car or hotel only approval• International only approval• Budget control• PDA compliant

Enforce travel the moment it is requested, purchased, changed or cancelled. Saving money requires achieving greater control and enforcing the controls (technology, discounts and services) you have put in place for your business.

This type of service will prevent loss of precious business time. Contact your TSI Account Manager to update your company's travel policy today.

TSI STAFF

INFocus Newsletter4

United Airlines reduces free checked baggage allowance for star alliance gold and-silver-members

United Airlines has reduced domestic checked baggage allowances for both Star Alliance Gold and Silver members, updating its baggage policy with the following disclaimer: "Effective for tickets issued on or after October 17, 2013, United is adjusting the number of free checked bags for customers with

Star Alliance Gold and Star Alliance Silver status. This change aligns United's policy to those of Star Alliance partners, creating a more consistent experience for customers traveling on itineraries with multiple carriers."

Holders of Star Gold status outside of the Mileage Plus program, who once

enjoyed up to three free checked bags weighing up to 70lbs each, now may only check a single bag without cost on domestic itineraries, weighing up to 50lbs. Star Alliance Silver members no longer will receive one free checked bag on domestic itineraries.

By Matthew Kint, upgrd.com

T-Mobile beginning Oct. 31 will offer unlimited data and texting in more than 100 countries at no extra charge to most U.S.-based customers of its Simple Choice plan, the wireless carrier announced this month. Voice calls will cost a global flat rate of 20 cents per minute when roaming in those countries. The service is not for

“extended international travel” of more than six weeks, according to the company. T-Mobile claims it is the first and only U.S. network to offer this service. Verizon confirmed it does not offer free global data. According to their websites, AT&T and Sprint also do not offer free global data. Simple Choice plans are contractless

and include talk, text and web services ranging between $50 and $70 per month depending on data networks and speeds. As of March 2013, Simple Choice is the only plan the carrier offers. Customers with non-Simple Choice contracts signed before March can contact T-Mobile to switch to the Simple Choice plan.

Business Travel News

T-Mobile: Data and text plans for use in over 100 countries, no extra charge

November 2013 5

One by one, airlines have begun allowing passengers to expand the use of personal electronic devices since the Federal Aviation Administration said it would start approving applications. So far, only a handful of airlines have the all-clear, and some have more exceptions than others.

US Airways and United are the latest to secure approval from the FAA.

US Airways on Nov. 7 said "customers on US Airways domestic mainline flights will now be permitted to use small PEDs during all phases of flight." Its US Airways Express flights do not have FAA approval.

United Airlines on Nov. 6 adopted the new rules on all domestic mainline flights arriving or departing within the 50 states. The new rules do not apply to United Express flights, but United said it is working with its with its regional partners to make that happen by the end of the year.

American Airlines on Nov. 4 said the new rules apply to "American's entire mainline fleet as well as regional aircraft operated by American Eagle Airlines." However, it does not yet apply to American Eagle flights operated by SkyWest Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines, Republic Airline or Chautauqua Airlines, American spokesman Matt Miller told CNBC.

Delta Air Lines as of Nov. 1 allows "portable electronic devices below 10,000 feet on mainline U.S. domestic

flights," according to its website. However, "Delta Connection's more than 550 regional aircraft will be ready by the end of the year."

JetBlue on Nov. 1 "adopted the new rule completely, all JetBlue flights," company spokesman Mike Miller told CNBC.

The FAA has received a handful of other plans and hopes to approve them quickly, agency spokeswoman Kristie Greco said.

Some are still preparing the paperwork. Alaska Airlines "will apply to the FAA for approval very soon," Paul McElroy said in an email to CNBC.

The new rules generally add the ability for passengers to use their smartphones, e-readers, electronic games and tablets during taxi, takeoff and landing as long as they have the device in airplane mode with cellular service disabled. Voice calls will still be prohibited and laptops will still need to be stowed for taxi, takeoff and landing.

The FAA, in its announcement Oct. 31, said there would be only limited exceptions to the new rules. "In rare instances of low-visibility, the crew will instruct passengers to turn off their devices during landing."

The new rules, the FAA made clear, do not yet apply to all fliers.

"Due to differences among fleets and operations, the implementation will vary among airlines, but the agency expects

many carriers will prove to the FAA that their planes allow passengers to safely use their devices in airplane mode, gate-to-gate, by the end of the year," the FAA said in its Oct. 31 announcement.

The American Eagle rollout is one early example of how the new system may be confusing. Since some American Eagle regional flights are operated by other airlines, those flights will be certified by the FAA. Those approvals are expected by the end of the year, Matt Miller said. (Passengers can find out by checking the "operated by" line on their flight status notification on AA.com, he said.)

The same goes for Delta's nine carriers operating under the Delta Connection banner, according to Delta Air Lines spokesman Paul Skrbec.

But where the new rules are in place, there is happiness in the land.

"Customer feedback has been terrific. We've had more than one instance of customers cheering on planes," Skrbec said.

"It has gone swimmingly as far as I'm aware," American's Miller said a day after the new rules were adopted. The airline will have to change its safety videos, but in the meantime the flight crew is providing guidance to passengers about the new rules.

Amy Langfield, nbcnews.com

Gate-to-gate in-flight personal electronics green-lighted: Which airlines now allow use?

INFocus Newsletter6

American Airlines, US Airways Merger Cleared by Justice Department

The lawsuit against the merger of American Airlines (AA) and US Airways by the Justice Department has been settled Tuesday, Nov. 12. The combined airline is required to give up slots at key airports across the country

to low-cost competitors. This avoids a trial scheduled to start Nov. 25 and clears the way for AA and US Airways to become the world's largest airline, nearly two years after AA filed for bankruptcy.

The aim of the settlement is to increase presence of low-cost airlines in Boston, Chicago's O'Hare, Dallas Love Field, Los Angeles, Miami, New York's LaGuardia and Washington's Reagan National airports.

Beginning tomorrow, November 13, 2013, seats can be reserved in advance when flying US Airways Shuttle. Seats can be chosen at booking, during check-in or any time in between by managing reservations online. Shuttle flights will also have ChoiceSeats available for

purchase – mostly window and aisle seats near the front of the aircraft.

For customers without Preferred status, PreferredAccess is available for purchase which offers priority check-in, security and boarding. Dividend Miles Preferred members will continue to

enjoy all of these benefits, plus Preferred seating.

These new additions will allow for a seamless travel experience when connecting to or from a Shuttle flight throughout our network.

Taking an extended trip away from the office is often a necessary step in getting your business to the next level, but doing so can get expensive. That's where expense reports come in.

"For traveling business people, not going overboard is really good advice," says Pauline Frommer, who travels often in her role as publisher of Frommers.com. "There's nothing more embarrassing than turning in an expense

report with the wrong information." The key is to know your company's

expense policies, since they differ from business to business. But for expenses that may not be entirely covered by your company, it helps to be familiar with IRS tax code. Most business travelers know that they can write off their flights, hotels, and meals as necessary travel expenditures. Here are some things you might not have known were tax-deductible:

1.) Dry cleaning: Sometimes trips last longer than expected. According to the IRS, expenses for dry cleaning and laundry are tax-deductible as a business cost, so there's no excuse for not looking presentable at meetings when you're traveling.

2.) Calls and other forms of communication: It may be obvious to charge long-distance calls to your expense account, but you may not know that faxes and Internet connection fees could also be deducted.

3.) Convention travel (even on cruise ships): Travel for workshops, conferences, and seminars are deductible if you can prove that it has a direct business purpose. You can even attend a convention on a cruise ship if it takes place on a U.S.-registered vessel that doesn't make any stops outside of the country.

4.) Shipping work material: If you're traveling for a trade show and need to display your products to potential buyers, you can get a tax deduction for the cost of shipping your materials to your destination ahead of time.

5.) Computer rental: Things happen, and you may need to rent a computer in a hurry and you can write off the cost.

Keeping track of expenses incurred on your trip is essential to getting reimbursed by your company. Apps can help keep you in check and make sure you're not charging anything that goes beyond tax code or your company's policies.

Advanced seat assignments coming on US Airways Shuttle flights

5 Business Travel Expenses You Never Knew You Could Write OffBy Madeline Stone, Business Insider

Dry cleaning can be considered a business expense, even while on the road.

November 2013 7

HOTEL INNOVATION CONTINUED

one a little to far," one hotel general manager told me recently. "Guests really do prefer to see some sort of transactional area and the staff prefers working from a central point, too. And if your people are trained properly, the desk isn't a barrier against good guest-employee interaction."

The in-room space raceOnce hoteliers committed to the

upfront cost of switching to flat-panel television sets from bulky old TVs, the transition went in a flash. The reason: Flat screens took up less space and allowed hotel designers to eliminate the immense armoires that surrounded old-style TVs. That meant more floor space for guests or, in newly built hotels, smaller rooms that didn't actually feel smaller. Besides, with so many fewer

guests actually using the in-room TV, less space dedicated to a fading amenity made sense.

The other major change in guestroom design—the bathroom—hasn't been troublesome, either. Unless they are a super-luxury property, hotels continue to purge bathrooms of bathtubs. The death of the traditional "four-fixture" hotel bathroom—shower, tub, sink and toilet—couldn't come fast enough for most business travelers. Most prefer to shower and bigger, more elaborate stalls can be installed when bathtubs are jettisoned. Besides, many travelers who prefer to bathe won't do it in a hotel anyway because they are wary about the cleanliness of a guestroom tub. The one sticking point continues to be family travelers, who want tubs for the kiddies. But "families have figured it out," one hotel manager recently explained. "If they want a room with a tub, they call ahead and make sure we reserve one for them."

Tempest in a coffee potIf there is genuine controversy in the

ever-changing world of lodging, it centers on one of the most basic items in a guestroom: the coffeemaker. Small, drip-style machines are giving way to single-serve brewers. The latest chain to switch: Hilton Garden Inn, which has made Keurig single-cup brewing machines the brand standard.

In-room coffeemakers have been a bone of contention for years and one chain, Extended Stay America, even channeled Twisted Sister for a TV commercial spoofing the industry's habit of stashing coffeemakers in bathrooms. Drip coffeemakers are also problematic for hotels since they can be used to cook meth. But some road warriors, accustomed to carrying their own preferred type of coffee, aren't fans of single-serve machines. Despite the variety of flavors on offer, single-service devices can't be customized for exactly the blend and grind some travelers crave.

INFocus Newsletter8

Frequent business traveler Kristine Lacoste likes Dallas/Fort Worth airport because it is "well-designed," easy to quickly move between terminals and has plenty of dining options.

The New Orleans resident doesn't feel the same way about Atlanta's airport, and "goes out of her way" to avoid it.

"The airport is too large, too congested, and I missed connections more often than not, even when not stopping for food," says Lacoste, managing editor of a website about pets. "Just going gate to gate is a challenge, and travel shouldn't be that stressful."

Frequent business travelers have favorite and least-favorite airports for many reasons, including ease of access, available services, security-screening efficiency and frequency of flight delays.

To get more airport opinions from seasoned business travelers, USA TODAY sent an informal survey to more than 1,600 Road Warriors — some of the world's most frequent business travelers who volunteer information to the news outlet. A total of 247 responded with their

choices of favorite and least-favorite airports in the USA and abroad.

Dallas Fort/Worth finished No. 1 among U.S. airports, and Amsterdam's Schiphol airport ranks at the top of foreign airports.

Least favorite? Chicago's O'Hare and Charles de Gaulle in Paris.

Dallas/Fort Worth was mentioned as a favorite by 45 of the 247 respondents. Atlanta's airport, despite Lacoste's experiences, finished second, followed by the Detroit and San Francisco airports.

The Atlanta and Detroit airports are "easy to navigate" and "offer modern facilities with diverse shopping and restaurants," says frequent business traveler Kenneth Nugent of Seneca, S.C., who works in the metering industry.

The two airports "are very comfortable in the event of long layovers or delays," and "generally a pleasant experience," he says.

Nugent, though, has nothing good to say about Chicago's O'Hare, his least favorite airport.

Air-traffic congestion makes it difficult to make connecting flights there, and "too much time" is spent waiting on the tarmac

for an open gate when flights arrive early or late, he says.

Nugent also complains that ground crews that service planes are slow; movement between concourses is "inconvenient"; amenities for travelers are "disappointing and limited"; and restaurants have long lines and insufficient seating.

O'Hare, though, has its defenders, including 24 Road Warriors who say it is their favorite airport.

Bruce Thompson of Frisco, Texas, who works in the consumer packaged-goods industry, says O'Hare has "great restaurants for people-watching" and a new wine and piano bar.

O'Hare spokeswoman Karen Pride says there's good news for fliers complaining about delays. A new runway to "substantially reduce delays" and increase aircraft capacity opened last month, and another runway will open in 2015.

Pride says new restaurants have also opened, including a "critically acclaimed" Japanese seafood and sushi bar.

Road Warriors name Dallas/Fort Worth as favorite U.S. airportBy Gary Stoller, USA TODAY