Dear fellow travelers:
Hello and welcome to David Rowell’s Travel Insider newsletter. Once again, this is Joe Brancatelli of JoeSentMe.com pinch-hitting for David while he’s escorting several Travel Insider groups around Europe.
Well, well, what is this? Good news to report. According to the National Weather Service, the hurricane season, which starts next week, will be below normal intensity. Unfortunately, that may be the only good news on the road in June, as I explain in this week’s Tactical Traveler. There’s also my Seat 2B column with updates on crucial stories that impact our day-to-day business travel. Plus some truly amazing bargain’s on this week’s deal page.
Meanwhile, Ralph Raffio ventures back home to Brooklyn to find real places that have survived the onslaught of hip, trendy, self-important joints that now define New York’s biggest borough. Will Allen tries to figure out the crap shoot that is car-rental pricing. Phil Baker wonders why companies from which we buy products and services treat us so badly after the sale. And Bob McGarvey tracks two trends: the return of the rich to the nation’s biggest cities and the epidemic of bogus hotel-booking sites. Most of these columns are free to read, but several require membership in JoeSentMe. So start reading…
Best regards and I’ll see you next week as David continues his travels. And as David says, enjoy safe travelers… Joe Brancatelli // JoeSentMe.com // [email protected]
BRANCATELLI IN SEAT 2B: WHAT WE KNOW ON THE ROAD ALWAYS CHANGES
The “facts” of business travel are as transitory as military intelligence. What you knew to be true last week, last month, last year is not necessarily valid data for your next road trip. Keep that in mind as I update you on the state of premium economy, the resurgence of “secret” flights, the end of Malaysia Airlines, the airlines’ war against travel agencies and the never-ending national disgrace that is Berlin’s new airport. Surf to http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/blog/seat2B/2015/05/joe-brancatelli-road-warrior-story-update.html
JOE’S STEALS AND DEALS: BA OFFERS A YEAR OF BIZ-CLASS SALES
+ British Airways rolls out a year of business class sales to Europe on a chart.
+ Air France slashes the price of first-class flying for summer travel.
+ Emirates offers deep, deep discounts of flights to its Dubai hub.
+ Updated list of summer business class sales.
Surf to http://deals.biztravelife.com
TACTICAL TRAVELER: WHY THIS BAD WEEK MEANS A BAD MONTH OF TRAVEL IN JUNE
The briefing in brief: A bad week on the road presages an awful June. BA gets closer to buying Aer Lingus. Delta and Alaska slug it out for supremacy at Sea-Tac. Air Canada improves some up front cabins on Rouge flights. More new hotels of note. FIFA’s soccer scandal has a travel angle. And much more … Surf to http://tactical.biztravelife.com
ROBERT MCGARVEY: A PLAGUE OF BOGUS HOTEL-BOOKING SITES
Bogus hotel bookings are an exploding scam and the price tag this year may hit $220 million. About 2.5 million bookings are made at these phony sites. Here’s how to make sure you’re not one of the losers. Surf to https://www.mainstreet.com/article/an-epidemic-of-bogus-hotel-booking-sites-now-costing-travelers-millions
EAT @ JOE’S: BEFORE HIPSTERS, THERE WAS A REAL BROOKLYN
Brooklyn has become “the great cliche,” but before the hipsters and the smug artisan goods and gear, there was a real place with real people and real food. Born-and-raised Brooklynite Ralph Raffio returns home to find five places that have withstood the test of time. Surf to http://eat.biztravelife.com
WILL ALLEN: THE CAR-RENTAL CRAP SHOOT
Why does every car rental now devolve into a crap shoot when it comes to finding out what it costs? And since when is the corporate discount not the lowest price available for a vehicle? Some thoughts about the insane game of car-rental pricing at https://allenontravel.wordpress.com/2015/05/28/car-rental-rate-crap-shoot
PHIL BAKER: BITING (AND ANNOYING) THE HAND THAT FEEDS THEM
Treating the customer poorly after the purchase is something that’s all too common. And it’s an epidemic in our Web-centric world. From the pop-ups you can’t suppress, to the constant email entreaties to buy to flat out bad customer service when a problem arises, you can rely on many companies making our lives miserable. Surf to http://techspertsinc.com/biting-the-hand-that-feeds-you-san-diego-transcript/
BOB MCGARVEY: WHERE THE ELITE MEET TODAY
Suddenly, especially in America’s biggest cities, the rich are returning. They are decamping from the suburbs, to which they decamped from cities years ago. Even long-abandoned places like downtown Los Angeles have literally rich new lives. Surf to https://www.mainstreet.com/article/the-rich-are-returning-to-americas-best-big-cities
