| January 4, 2013 | News for travel agents |
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| Business and Industry Watch |  |  |
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- Crystal Cruises adds food, wine trip in July
Foodies will unite on Crystal Cruises' Arctic cruise this July. The trip will have a food-and-wine theme, as well as culinary celebrities such as Sven Erik Renaa, manager of the champion Norwegian national culinary team; Gwénaël Laroche of Burgundy's Domaine Laroche winery; and Marc Cummings, a Cordon Bleu master chef and star of TV's "The Very Best of Everything." The cruise will take place on board the Crystal Serenity and is scheduled to start July 5 in Copenhagen and reach Stockholm, visiting 10 ports. USA Today/Cruise Log blog
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| Trends and Technology | |  |
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- American Airlines shifts approach for system revamps
American Airlines is aiming to procure software and alter it as needed -- instead of creating it in-house -- to update its Passenger Services System, which manages reservations and other customer functions. The carrier is also updating its Flight Operating System, which manages internal scheduling and route planning. The company was in the midst of revamping both systems when it changed its chief information officer in December 2011, a month after it filed for Chapter 11. Computerworld
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- Cruise lines push for recovery in 2013
The global cruise market is showing signs of improvement as the industry moves away from the Costa Concordia accident early last year. Several cruise lines are taking action to improve profitability by adding to and refurbishing their fleets and focusing on a number of popular markets such as New York and Galveston, Texas. Travel Weekly
(12/31)
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- Sentosa, Singapore, continues to boost its appeal
The Sentosa resort island in Singapore has spent the past few years refreshing itself and expanding its offerings to draw more travelers. In November, the final element of the island's Resorts World Sentosa facility -- the Marine Life Park -- was launched. The park offers what is described as the world's largest aquarium and a water park featuring the region's first hydromagnetic coaster. CNN
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| Regulatory and Legislative | | |
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- Quicker lines at Harrisburg airport in Pa. with full-body scanners
Since full-body scanners were introduced at Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania more than two years ago, the airport reports things are going smoothly and lines move more quickly. "We can be effective and sensitive to people's concerns, which is why passengers always can choose which machine they want to go through," said Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Ann Davis. "We're finding more and more passengers, though, are requesting the advanced imaging technology." LancasterOnline (Pa.)
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| Best Practices | | |
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| Small-Business Strategies | | |
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- Customer service must be quick, social to please clients
Customers are more savvy than ever, so serving them quickly and effectively must be a top priority, writes Shep Hyken. Customers expect to be able to reach a business through social media immediately and businesses should be poised to take advantage of mobile advertising to draw in customers based on their location. Customers also enjoy games and other interactive tools that let them win discounts or products. B2C Marketing Insider
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- Let employees take over key duties to spur business growth
To allow a small business to grow, owners must be able to hand key responsibilities to trusted employees, writes Curt Finch. When passing on duties, clearly explain the goals and expectations to the employee, and get it in writing so you and the employee can measure productivity. "As a business owner it can be difficult to let someone else take care of your baby, but it is almost always in the business's best interest to create a team with diverse and useful skills to improve processes," Finch writes. Small Business Trends
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| ASTA Spotlight | | |
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Delta postpones implementation of new checked baggage policy with multiple tickets
Delta Air Lines, which announced a new policy last year, effective Jan. 15, 2013, to no longer check bags to a final destination when multiple tickets are presented at check in, has postponed the policy. No new effective date was provided. In explaining the delay, Delta said that it seeks to "further assess implications, to better understand any applicable regulatory requirements, and to provide travel partners with additional time to evaluate potential adjustments to ticketing practices associated with such a policy." Delta's announcement can be found here.
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Connect with ASTA members through Linkedin
ASTA's LinkedIn group is the perfect place to discuss best practices, share trip ideas and give/receive advice from other ASTA members -- all from the comfort of your home or office! Join the conversation today. All current ASTA members are welcome to join.
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