Jan 24
maureen-pickellTips for Meeting Planners Hilton, MPI, travel tips
Well, your ConventionPlanit.com traveling blogger ventured out a little closer to home on Thursday to attend the Rocky Mountain Chapter Meeting of MPI.
The luncheon program was hosted by the brand new Embassy Suites Denver – Downtown Convention Center Hotel – the first LEED Certified Embassy Suites hotel.
The quality of the food vied with the program topic for top prize!
Guest speaker John Sileo talked about Identity Theft Prevention and how members of the meetings industry are often the easiest prey because of our travel patterns. We all left clutching our wallets and cell phones a little tighter but also in possession of a targeted action plan to protect our personal and professional identities!
Look for a blog post in the near future with many of John’s valuable tips and advice.
Dec 08
Ashley ChalmersNews air travel, Continental Airlines, travel tips
Between cold and flu season and swine flu, personal hygeine has become more important than ever. Grocery stores offer antibacterial wipes next to shopping carts, and the most popular hand out on the trade show floor has become travel-sized hand sanitizer.
The CDC’s latest healthy travel campaign urges ill travelers to stay home – but at what cost? Flying while ill to avoid significant cancellation and rescheduling fees certainly seems like a viable option…but what if you are the unlucky passenger stuck next to the passenger coughing and sneezing throughout your flight?
A recent MSNBC article outlines current airline policies on cancelling a reservation due to illness:
- JetBlue, Northwest and Delta – case-by-case basis
- American and US Airways – changes to non-refundable tickets cost $150, plus the difference between the old and new fares
- AirTran Airways – waives cancellation and rescheduling fees for any passenger with a doctor’s note documenting that they have H1N1 (but not seasonal flu or other illnesses)
- Virgin America, Continental and United – ongoing policies to waive change fees for customers who can provide documentation of illness from their doctor
- Southwest – no charge for changing or cancelling flights
How does illness impact your travel plans?
Oct 07
Ashley ChalmersNews best travel practices, guest-friendly hotel tips, hotels, travel tips
With Erin Andrews peeping tom causing a stir throughout the country and raising security issues among hotels, we can’t help but think of a few ways for the hotel guest to take safety into their own hands.
Even though many of the large hotel chains are reviewing and investigating their privacy policies, we see no harm in putting a few tips into practice now.
1. Keep your room number private: Be aware that at check in, it’s standard for the clerk to write your room number down on the key card instead of saying it out loud.
2. Stop a Peeping Tom: smear Vaseline on the inside of the peephole lens or place a piece of duct tape over the peephole, as Peter Greenberg recommends, to prevent anyone from seeing inside.
3. Inspect your room: Look under the bed, in the closet, bathroom and shower upon entering your room for anything (or anyone) suspicious.
4. Deadbolt your door: Be sure to deadbolt your door after entering the room – prevents any unwanted parties from entering without your permission; whether it be a housekeeper, maintenance crew, intruder, or a guest assigned mistakenly to the same room.
What are some other safety precautions you practice when traveling? What do you think of the press this situation is receiving? In general, do you feel safe when you stay at a hotel?
Jul 22
Ashley ChalmersMisc Tidbits, News, Tips, Tips for Meeting Planners Bethenny Frankel, meeting education, meeting ideas, Real Housewives of NYC, Trade Shows, travel, travel tips
If you didn’t receive the ConventionPlanit.com newsletter yesterday, you missed out on an interview with Bethenny Frankel from Bravo’s Real Housewives of NYC.
Bethenny dishes out smart menu and eating habits for on-the-road meeting planners.
Check out what Bethenny has to say – and be sure to sign up for our newsletter for more great tips and meeting ideas!
Jul 13
Ashley ChalmersMisc Tidbits, News, Places to Stay air travel, airlines, travel tips, unique activities
Frequent travelers forced to leave their furry friends behind when flying have a new option…
…Pet Airways debuts tomorrow as the U.S.’s first pet-only airline. Pets will travel in the main cabin, not the cargo hold of the planes.
The airline strives to protect the comfort and safety of pets, who are often injured in unsafe cargo conditions. Flights will serves New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles to start, with plans to expand nationwide.
Owners can book online and even track the progress of their pet’s flight at http://www.petairways.com.
Is this a service you will use?
Jun 23
Ashley ChalmersNews, Tips air travel, airlines, carry on luggage, Transportation Security Administration, travel tips
Senator Dan Lipinski has introduced a bill to standardize carry on luggage sizes.
The bill would require the Transportation Security Administration to set up templates on luggage conveyor belts that would block pieces larger than 22 inches x 18 inches x 10 inches.
Larger bags would have to be checked in.
With airlines expected to increase checked baggage fees this summer, would this bill create tension at luggage check points? Or is the bill a way to ensure there is room on board for customer’s overhead bags?
May 19
Ashley ChalmersMisc Tidbits, Places to Stay, Tips hotels in hawaii, travel tips
I just returned from a fantastic travel experience in Hawaii! Paradise is masquerading as the Hawaiian Islands, a great place for meetings and vacations alike.
One part great weather, two parts super accommodations and three parts “Aloha” hospitality…
…all add up to an intoxicating cocktail that rivals the famous Mai-Tai. If you are looking for a destination that never fails to deliver on its promise, consider our 50th state!
Adventures in Paradise!
About the Author: ConventionPlanit.com’s Maureen Pickell, Director of Global Accounts and traveler of the world, has just returned from her latest adventure in Hawaii.
Where have you recently traveled? We’d love to hear about some of your experiences!
May 05
Ashley ChalmersMisc Tidbits economy, halloween business trends, hotels, travel tips
Hotels have reputations to maintain…
…and a decrease in travel is surely making it difficult to find ways to cut costs without compromising service, quality, or anything of the sort.
The New York Times reports that many hotels have found room service as the best way to cut costs – especially since the offering has not been profitable for quite some time.
The most common cut backs for room service seem to be offering comfort foods, less refined food options, and smaller portions which are priced lower to appeal to customer (and cost the hotel less, too).
To hear what properties across the country are saying on the matter, check out the full article here.
Hotel guests: are you ordering room service less when you travel? Would lowered prices change your mind?
Apr 28
Ashley ChalmersMisc Tidbits, Places to Stay best travel practices, hotels, travel tips
Yesterday I saw a commercial for CitiBank that showed several Americans sharing their money saving tips in the current economy.
One in particular stuck out to me: a woman says doesn’t purchase toiletries, and instead takes them from the hotels she stays at.
Perhaps I am misinterpreting the message of the commercial, but it did spark some questions in my mind.
Where do we draw the line? Certainly toiletries are present in a hotel room for guests to use and enjoy, but are they for the taking?
During room service visits, if toiletries have not been used, they will usually not be replaced. Is it wrong for a guest who does not use the toiletries to move them in order to receive more?
I have heard many different guest practices on this issue, and it seems almost everyone has an opinion on it. So…tell me what’s on your mind!
Do you work in a hotel? What’s the standard practice on toiletries?
Are you a frequent traveler? What do you do?
Apr 14
Ashley ChalmersMember News, Tips for Meeting Planners meeting education, meeting industry, Tips for Meeting Planners, travel tips
The latest edition of our e-newsletter went out today -
You can sign up to receive your copy here…
…or catch up on your meeting news through the archive on ConventionPlanit.com.
The e-Alert is published every other week, and is a great source of meeting information, happenings and tips!
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