ETC Travel News

Signs You Need a Corporate Travel Manager

Travel Management by Executive Travel Consultants Corporate travel is one of the biggest expenditures a business can have. Yet many companies still don’t take corporate travel all that seriously. The truth is that if you rely on staff to visit a different part of the country, or even a different country altogether, to carry out business,Read More…

New Seattle Hotels Under Construction

Moxy (Marriott) South Lake Union Guest Rooms: 146 Proposed Open Date:February 2018 Embassy Suites Pioneer Square Guest Rooms: 282 Proposed Open Date: February 2018 Hotel @ The Mark Financial District Guest Rooms: 184 Proposed Open Date: Q2 2018 EVEN Hotel South Lake Union Guest Rooms: 123 Proposed Open Date: April 2018 Staybridge Suites South LakeRead More…

Alaska Airlines and American Airlines Partnership Changes

Alaska has grown a lot recently, by acquiring Virgin America, expanding to 118 cities, and growing our global partner network. With growth comes change, and starting January 1, 2018, Alaska and American Airlines will be making important updates to our partnership, though a lot will remain the same. What’s not changing: You’ll still earn milesRead More…

TripIt to Now Include Traffic Data and TSA Wait Times

TripIt, a travel app owned by SAP Concur, said Wednesday that it plans to input the Iinside data from airports in Austin, Texas, Orlando, Florida, Denver and Phoenix. Users will receive an alert three hours before a flight with current wait times, as well as real-time updates. Airport maps in the app will also show the nearestRead More…

Seattle Summer Hotel Avalibility

With an additional 4,000 Fire Fighters and 25,000 PAX West Convention Attendees scheduled for August, book your Seattle hotel reservations early this year. Share this post…

United Airlines Premium Plus

United Airlines’ long-awaited premium economy addition appears to be on its way and it will be called United Premium Plus. “Later this year, we’ll begin to introduce United’s Premium Plus. Available on select international flights, United Premium Plus will give you more space, comfort and amenities,” according to a memo, which was published on BoardingArea.Read More…

Alaska Airlines Flights out of Paine Field

Alaska Airlines will offer 13 non-stop flights out or Paine Field in Everett every day. New cities include Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Orange County, California; Phoenix; Portland; San Diego; San Francisco; and San Jose, California. Dave Somers, Snohomish County Executive said he welcomed the announcement: “As Paine Field becomes a connection to the world, ourRead More…

Virgin America/Alaska Airlines Mileage Conversion

We can no longer utilize Virgin America mileage numbers and when one is present in your ETC traveler profile, Concur and Deem will return an error.  If you have a Virgin America mileage number in your ETC Concur or Deem profile, please remove the number and replace it with your Alaska Airlines number.  According toRead More…

National Rated Number for the Third Year in a Row

National Car Rental and sister brand Enterprise earned the highest marks from travel buyers in BTN’s annual Car Rental Survey, as they have since the survey launched in 2015. Avis Car Rental and Hertz ranked third and fourth, respectively, as they have since the survey’s inception, as well. Though scores decreased for all brands inRead More…

Delta and WestJet Agree to Form Joint Venture

Delta Air Lines and WestJet have agreed to deepen their existing partnership by entering into a comprehensive transborder joint venture that will increase travel choices between the U.S. and Canada. The airlines have entered into a preliminary memorandum of understanding regarding their intention to deepen their existing partnership to form a commercial joint venture arrangement,Read More…

Air France and Alaska Airlines to End Partnership in April

Effective April 30th, 2018, the partnership between Air France/KLM and Alaska Airlines will end. Alaska still continues to serve it’s international customers through partnerships with British Airways, Icelandair, Condor, and Finnair. For mileage redemption information between now and then, please visit the Alaska Airlines website and view the redemption chart. Share this post…

Smart Bag Policy Changes on American Airlines and Alaska

Smart bags contain lithium battery power banks, which can pose a possible risk if stored in the cargo hold of the aircraft. Alaska Airlines: Beginning in early 2018, Alaska airlines will only accept smart bags equipped with lithium ion battery power banks as carry-on baggage. American Airlines: Beginning January 15, American will require that theRead More…

Global Entry vs. TSA Pre-Check

What does each one actually do? TSA PreCheck is a government-sponsored program that began in October 2011 and grants approved passengers on domestic—and some international—flights expedited screening. PreCheck passengers don’t need to remove their shoes, laptops, liquids, belts, and light jackets, which means less time in line—and more in the lounge. It helps you when you’re leavingRead More…

ETC Custom Luggage Tags

Send us your business card and we will turn it into a custom luggage tag! On the reverse side, important information from Executive Travel including our main phone number and our 24 hour after-hours number in one convenient place, perfect for those last minute changes and questions. These tags have also proven invaluable to some of ourRead More…

New TSA Screening Rules for U.S. Inbound Passengers Begin Today

Passengers on inbound flights to the U.S. will be subject to new security screening procedures, that will see both citizens and non-citizens questioned about their trip and their luggage. The new rules, which will impact all of the 2,000-plus international flights to the U.S. each day, comes at the 120-day window for enforced regulations after the TrumpRead More…

National Car Rental Launches Annual “One Two Free” Promotion

National Car Rental, through its frequent renter Emerald Club, is launching its yearly “One Two Free” promotion, which awards registered Emerald Club members one free rental day for every two qualifying rentals. Each free day covers base rate (time and mileage) only. To further increase members’ chances to earn free days, this year’s promotion offersRead More…

Alaska Airlines Will Fly Daily, Round-Trip, Non-Stop Flights to Pittsburgh from Seattle

“We’re pleased to add Pittsburgh to our growing list of destinations from our hometown of Seattle,” John Kirby, VP of capacity planning at Alaska Airlines, says in a statement. “With the addition of Pittsburgh, Alaska flies nonstop to 90 destinations, which is more than twice as many as any other airline.” The new non-stop route toRead More…

Trump Administration Issues Revised, Expanded Travel Ban

The Trump Administration on Sunday announced new, permanent restrictions on travel by foreigners from eight countries, as part of its updated version of the travel ban that was signed earlier this year. The new version of the ban will include five countries from the previous list—Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia—along with three new countries—Chad,Read More…

More Important Than Ever to Cancel Flight Before Departure

Beginning October 2nd, 2017, Alaska Airlines is updating their no-show refund policy. Therefore, it’s more important than ever to cancel your unneeded flights prior to departure. Currently, when our travelers no-show flights, the ticket is suspended and ETC is able to reinstate the ticket credit for future travel. Beginning October 2nd, if you no-show a flight,Read More…

Singapore and Alaska Airline to Launch Codeshare Agreement

Singapore Airlines has signed an agreement to codeshare on flights operated by Alaska Airlines, as jointly announced by the two airlines earlier this week. The agreement aims to expand Singapore Airlines’ footprint in the North American market, and will take effect on September 27. Once the agreement takes place, Singapore Airlines will add its ‘SQ’Read More…

Proposed Increase in Air Travel Fees

Have you heard about the proposed airline tax hike working its way through the senate? The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a fiscal 2018 spending bill that would raise the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) from $4.50 per flight segment to $8.50. The proposed increase would go to maintaining and upgrading the nation’s airports, however thoseRead More…

Changing Hotel Cancellation Policies

Some of the largest hotel chains are revamping their hotel cancellation policies. They are increasing the time required before check in to cancel to 24 or even 48 hours. They are saying this will provide better accommodation for people seeking last minute hotels while reducing the number of unsold rooms per night. Here is theRead More…

New Hotel Openings in the Seattle/Bellevue Area

With the massive expansion happening in Seattle lately, new hotels were sure to follow. Here are a few opening that every corporate travel manager should be aware of: W Hotel Bellevue This high end hotel is the true meaning of modern luxury. With beautifully designed rooms, the fantastic Lakehouse restaurant, and a pillow menu youRead More…

Port of Seattle welcomes new nonstop service to Mexico City on Aeromexico

Nonstop service to North America’s largest city to start November 2017 SEATTLE – The Port of Seattle welcomes the announcement that Aeromexico will begin service from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Mexico City beginning November 1, 2017. The daily nonstop flight will be on a 160-seat Boeing 737-800 airplane and will feature Clase Premier, AM Plus,Read More…

Alaska Airlines, Finnair Begin New Partnership

Alaska Airlines announced a new frequent flyer partnership with Finnair. Under the new agreement, members of the Finnair Plus loyalty program can earn and redeem miles and points on Alaska Airlines flights. Meanwhile, members of Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan program can earn miles and points on Finnair flights, and will be able to redeem themRead More…

Can Online Passport Renewal Be On The Way?

Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to go to the passport office to get your passport renewed? It just may happen. The State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs is considering online passport renewals, according to a story in Federal News Radio. Speaking on a panel at a symposium in Washington last week, community relations officerRead More…

Deem Makes Best of Breed Travel Booking and Expense Reporting a Seamless End-to-End Process

New APIs Enable Integration of Deem Booking Software with Leading Expense Tools San Francisco, Calif., May 4, 2017 – Deem, a leading mobile and cloud technology provider for the business travel industry, launched Deem Open Expense today, an API framework that integrates Deem’s Work Fource business travel platform with the industry’s leading expense reporting tools.Read More…

State Department Issues Travel Alert For Europe, Travel Agents React

Recent incidents in France, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom demonstrate that terrorist organizations like ISIS “have the ability to plan and execute terrorist attacks in Europe,” says the caution, released yesterday. “While local governments continue counterterrorism operations, the Department nevertheless remains concerned about the potential for future terrorist attacks. U.S. citizens should always beRead More…

Parking Rates at the Sea-Tac Airport Garage are About to Increase

The Port of Seattle plans to raise the parking rates at the Sea-Tac Airport garage beginning April 14. This is the first increase in airport parking fees since 2010. This rate adjustment is due to a recent local commercial parking tax increase, and will help fund investment in the garage for customer service, technology andRead More…

ETC Travel is on Facebook!

Be sure to like ETC Travel on Facebook for up to the minute news, vacation specials and updates on the ETC Travel Team! Share this post…

Marriott Rewards to Offer United Airlines Elite Status to Its Top Members

Marriott International and United Airlines announced a new partnership under which the hotel chain’s top-level loyalty program members will be able to obtain complimentary elite status with the airline. Members of Marriott Rewards, the hotelier’s guest loyalty program, with Platinum Premier Elite status will be eligible for United MileagePlus Premier Gold benefits, while Platinum EliteRead More…

More airports join San Diego in Good Traveler offset program

A carbon offset program founded by San Diego International Airport in 2015 is spreading to airports nationwide including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Under the program, flyers purchase credits to offset the carbon emissions generated by their trip. A $1 credit offsets 500 miles of air travel. The offsets can be purchased either online or at RyanRead More…

Lufthansa: Cooking for a Cause Seattle

Thank you Tina for volunteering to feed homeless teens at the Lufthansa Airlines “Cooking for a Cause” event!   Travel News by Executive Travel Consultants, LTD travelnewsetctravel.com Share this post…

New Hotels Coming to the Seattle Area

SLS Hotel – Seattle Financial District 148 rooms Opening: Summer 2017 Embassy Suites – Pioneer Square 282 rooms Opening: Q4 2017 Moxy (Marriott) – South Lake Union 147 rooms Opening: Summer 2017 Residence Seattle – Denny Triangle 309 rooms Opening: December 2017 Curio – The Charter (Hilton) – Pike Place Market 230 rooms Opening: MidRead More…

Major Events Happening in Seattle this Year

During major conventions in the Seattle area, expect limited hotel availability. During these events, be sure to book in advance. First Quarter American Meteorological Society – January 22-26th International Aids Society – February 11-17th TESOL International Association – March 20-24th Second Quarter National Council for Behavioral Health – April 1-5th Specialty Coffee Association – AprilRead More…

American Airlines Introduces Basic Economy Fares

With Basic Economy, travelers get the lowest Main Cabin fare with the same great on board experience including free snacks, soft drinks and entertainment. Plus, earn Advantage award miles and elite qualifying credits at a reduced rate. Some restrictions will apply: One item that fits under seat (no access to overhead bins) Seats assigned atRead More…

15% OFF AT HOTEL 1000, EXCLUSIVLY OFFERED THROUGH ETC TRAVEL

ETC is very excited to announce that we now offer a 15% discount off of the lowest room rate at Hotel 1000! This upscale and edgy property in the heart of Seattle offers a unique experience in addition to an unbeatable location. About Hotel 1000 A Luxurious, Personalized Downtown Seattle Hotel Experience In the heartRead More…

USE YOUR ALASKA MILES FOR PRECHECK FEES

Members of the Alaska Airlines loyalty program can now redeem miles for the application fee to the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program. “TSA PreCheck is a game-changer for those of us who travel frequently for work or pleasure,” said Sangita Woerner, vice president of marketing for Alaska. The offer, which runs through April, requires 10,000Read More…

SOUTHWEST INCREASES FEE FOR EARLYBIRD CHECK-IN

Next time you opt-in for Southwest’s EarlyBird Check-In, you will notice a slight increase in fee. The increase from $12.50 to $15.00 aims to decrease the number of people using EarlyBird which in turn will add to the benefits for those who do. As a reminder, here is what comes with EarlyBird: Automatic Check-In 12 hours before generalRead More…

ALASKA AIRLINES HAS PURCHASED VIRGIN AMERICAN

Resulting from a hard fought bidding war between Alaska Air and JetBlue, Alaska Air has acquired California based Virgin American for $2.6 billion. With both airlines known for their customer oriented experiences and west coast pride, this is a perfect match. With this new alliance, Alaska Air is in position to be the biggest carrierRead More…

NEW STUDY FINDS TRAVEL AGENTS SAVE CONSUMERS AN AVERAGE OF $452 PER TRIP

Press Release: The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) Alexandria, VA, May 2, 2016 – New research from The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) proves that travel agents save consumers time and money. Consumers report that travel agents save them an average $452 per trip, and four hours in travel planning. Perhaps most importantly,Read More…

WHY USE A TRAVEL AGENT? ISN’T IT OBVIOUS?

There you have it, right from Craig Sechler of the HBO series Veep. Share this post…

IRIS AND FINGERPRINT SCANNING COMING TO SEA-TAC AIRPORT SECURITY AS NEW OPTION THIS WEEK

Biometrics company Clear anticipates launching its screening terminals at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport sometime this week. There will be two terminals at each of the airport’s three security checkpoints. Construction delays pushed back the launch, and Clear was hesitant to give a definitive opening day as a result. The technology provides an alternative to the partRead More…

ATLANTIS RESORT TO BE BUILT ON THE HAWAIIAN ISLAND OF OAHU

The resort will be similar to Atlantis Dubai, with planned amenities including a Dolphin Bay and shark habitat, among others. Designed to attract millennials from all over the world, the resort will also boast hotel rooms with views looking into a giant aquarium. “This aquarium will look as the ocean looks. It’ll look as theRead More…

ALERT: TRAVELERS TO CANADA WITH CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS MAY BE DENIED ENTRANCE

Canada has an enforced law that may deny you entrance if you have ever been convicted of a criminal offense. The list of applicable convictions include: 1) a minor offense (including shoplifting, theft, assault, possession of an illegal substance, etc.); 2) an “indictable” criminal offense (including assault with a deadly weapon, manslaughter; etc.), or 3)Read More…

CONSIDER AN EASIER RIDE TO THE AIRPORT

Sound Transit’s Link light rail runs right to the airport from as far as the University District with multiple stops along the way. Once you are at the airport, you can walk from the station right up to the ticket counter under cover and out of the elements.   Travel News by Executive Travel Consultants,Read More…

TSA WILL ACCEPT WASHINGTON LICENSES FOR TWO MORE YEARS

The final word is in: Washington state residents will have two more years to use their standard driver’s licenses before those cards are no longer compliant with federal standards. The two-year extension is meant to give states a final chance to meet those rules. The new deadline has been set to January 22nd, 2018. ThereRead More…