(INDIANAPOLIS) – A major aviation conference is coming to Indy next year.

The three-day Routes Americas conference is a networking event for airline and airport executives from around the world to discuss potential new flights. The 2019 conference in Quebec City next month will match up representatives of 80 airlines with 300 airports.

Indy’s been trying to expand its international service. Its first nonstop transatlantic route, to Paris, began just eight months ago. But Garrett Baguley with Routes organizer UBM says the airport has great potential for expansion, while the city’s convention expertise leaves itwell equipped to accommodate meetings with 800 aviation-industry representatives.

Governor Holcomb says he wants to make Indianapolis International Airport the Midwest’s hub for international travel. He and airport director Mario Rodriguez say the annual conference is a chance to make the airport’s case directly — but with what both call a home-field advantage. The airport has regularly topped passenger surveys on the best airports in North America, but Holcomb says there’s a difference between reading those polls and seeing the airport in person.

Indianapolis International Airport (Photo: Eric Berman/WIBC)

TUCSON, Ariz., Jan. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The airlines have been a safe and reliable way for pets to travel for many years! The incidents of pet injury or death are very low (48 pet related incidents in 2017 across all airlines). Happy Tails Travel believes in airline travel, as they have worked one on one with the airlines’ pet safe programs to offer a 100% success rate for pet shipping for 23 years.

Recently, the public perception of airline travel for pets has taken a severe blow due to exaggerated accounts of pet deaths. Most recently were stories of a pet dying in cabin and two pets being sent internationally in error, who were flown back to the U.S. as soon as they were discovered. These stories by the media contribute to inflated misperceptions on how ‘unsafe’ it is for airline travel. From this past summer until presently, there has been a significant decrease in people wanting their pets to fly, due to news stories they have heard.

As a result of the media storm, airlines implemented an unprecedented amount of changes in airline rules and regulations for pet travel over the past eight months. While the changes were for the best interests of the pets and to uphold airline employees to stricter standards, these changes are also posing an inconvenience to many pet owners who need to relocate their pets. Such inconveniences include people not able to send their pets due to size and breed restrictions, huge expenses for the pet owner, or pets not being adopted due to the additional hassle of trying to find a suitable method of transport.

In response to the “perfect storm” (public perception of air travel for live animals, greater restrictions and increased requirements), Happy Tails Travel developed a service to address these issues.

As an alternative to air travel, this company can relocate pets within the contiguous U.S. by ground in a program called, “By Ground Safe and Sound.” This service offers door-to-door transportation for pets in a private vehicle by one of their highly screened, pet-friendly drivers to ensure a happy journey to each pet’s new home. Transportation includes communication throughout the day, comfort stops, and dogs have the option of riding in their crate or with a seatbelt and harness/loose, while cats must be sent with a kennel for their journey.

Pet owners are relieved to have this service as it provides great peace of mind and the opportunity to have their pets move to their new home. Please see the highlight below from a ground testimonial and follow the link for the complete review and others!  

“Happy Tails Travel talked to me on the phone about all the ways that would work or wouldn’t work based on Walker’s background, size and personality. Helping us understand the dynamics of all types of travel and how to get Walker to Texas safely, and the best way for him.” – Marion C. and Walker who traveled from New York, NY to Austin, TX.

Media Contact:
Bridget Monrad
Happy Tails Travel, Inc.
520-850-0890
207791@email4pr.com 

SOURCE Happy Tails Travel, Inc.

A defeat in the UK’s Parliament for Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal has raised the odds of a “no deal” Brexit in March, multiple media outlets are reporting, and travel organizations are weighing in on the potential impact to the industry. 

The Brexit deal, which May had been negotiating with officials from the European Union (EU) over the past two years, was rejected by a 432 to 202 margin in a Parliament vote on Tuesday afternoon, CBS News reports – the biggest defeat for a sitting government in the UK’s history. That means that May will have to present an alternate plan by Monday, or ask to delay the March 29 deadline for the UK leaving the EU. 

In a statement on the vote, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that, while most passengers’ flights will go ahead, uncertainty remains for both travelers and airlines regarding post-Brexit air connectivity. 

“A ‘no deal’ Brexit could lead to a cap on flights that will stunt important economic opportunities and may lead to higher prices for consumers,” the organization wrote. “The proposed guidance from the EU Commission in the event of ‘no deal’ calls for the current level of flights between the UK and the EU to be maintained, but does not allow for an increase in flight numbers in 2019 compared to 2018.”

According to the IATA, up to 5 million extra seats are scheduled for 2019 compared to 2018 in order to meet rising consumer demand, many over the peak summer travel season, and these could be at risk if a “no deal” Brexit occurs. 

“That current flight levels will be protected even with a hard Brexit is an important assurance. But with two months left until Britain leaves the EU, airlines still do not know exactly what kind of Brexit they should be planning for,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO, in a written statement. “And there is legal and commercial uncertainty over how the Commission’s plan to cap flight numbers will work. In the small window remaining before Brexit it is imperative that the EU and UK prioritize finding a solution that brings certainty to airlines planning growth to meet demand and to travelers planning business trips and family holidays.”

In other travel impacts, the pound rose 0.05 percent in trading following the vote, after declines of more than 1 percent earlier in the day, the BBC reports. The currency had been down 7 percent in 2018 due to uncertainty regarding the Brexit deal, which translates into lower prices for U.S. travelers visiting the UK due to the more favorable exchange rate with the dollar. 

Looking ahead, the opposition Labour party has called for a no-confidence vote in May’s government, according to the BBC, although senior party officials have said that this vote is unlikely to succeed. That vote is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. GMT Wednesday, or 2:00 p.m. EST. 

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Reports: UK Prime Minister Seeks to Delay Brexit Vote

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Draft Brexit Deal Reached; Requires Cabinet Approval

The Latest Brexit Negotiations and What it Could Mean for Travel

The partial government shutdown has made air travel less safe today than it was a month ago, Trish Gilbert, executive vice president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said in an interview with CNN Wednesday.

“Bottom line would you say…flying is less safe today than it was a month ago?” asked CNN Host Poppy Harlow.

“I would say it is less safe today than a month ago. Absolutely,” said Gilbert. “We do not have the professionals on the job. We are working with bare-bones crews. We have controllers there, doing what they do very, very well. But how long can you expect them to do it without all of the systems behind them to keep the system safe and planes in the air.”

Air traffic controllers, who direct aircraft through the skies, ensure that planes take off, fly and land safely without hitting other planes. They have gone for 26 days without pay because of the partial shutdown, brought on by the president’s $5.6 billion funding request for a border wall.

“Right now, you’re putting this incredible strain on this system… This is a horrible game of chicken that we’re in the middle of,” said Gilbert.

Planes sit on the runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Trish Gilbert, executive vice president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said the shutdown had made air travel less safe today than it was a month ago. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Air traffic control support staff, deemed inessential, have been furloughed, throwing another  glitch into an interdependent safety system. Gilbert expressed worry over the fact that self-air-traffic controllers’ self-reported safety issues had not been investigated. “Maintenance of our infrastructure and installing new technologies that would improve safety” are not happening, Gilbert explained.

On Tuesday the Federal Aviation Administration announced that it would bring back almost 3,000 furloughed safety inspectors and engineers to provide maintenance and back-up inspections—without pay. Considered nonessential government workers, only 216 inspectors were required to report to work when the shutdown began. 

“We are recalling inspectors and engineers to perform duties to ensure continuous operational safety of the entire national airspace,” the agency said Tuesday in a statement. “We proactively conduct risk assessment, and we have determined that after three weeks, it is appropriate to recall inspectors and engineers.”

The move comes after the National Air Traffic Controllers Association sued the federal government to force it to pay them for their work during the shutdown. A federal judge ruled against them on Tuesday. The association said that there were currently fewer trained controllers than there had been in the past 30 years, despite a significant increase in air traffic.

The TSA saw a significant increase in employee absences last week, with an absence rate of 6.8 percent compared with 2.5 percent the year before. Atlanta, Houston, Washington-Dulles, Miami and Dallas-Fort Worth airports have all had to close screening lanes because of staff shortages. The TSA missed a firearm during its  screening process last week, and a passenger was allowed to fly with his gun on a Delta flight between the U.S. and Japan. The TSA said the gun slipped through because procedures weren’t followed, and was not a result of staff shortages brought on by the government shutdown.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has claimed that federal employees suppor the shutdown, even if it means working without pay. In the past, Trump has supported the privatization of air-traffic control jobs.

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•Because so much time had passed since the booking, the fare he purchased was no longer available.

Finally, he was told to stop asking.

“Continuing to exchange emails will not change our position. Respectfully, we consider this matter closed,” Air Canada said on Dec. 14.

Yashan was frustrated about not being able to move his complaint to a higher level.

“Air Canada does not have an escalation process and finding contact information to speak with someone is next to impossible,” he said. “I did succeed in finding someone in their head office, who promptly sent my complaint back to Customer Relations.”

Here’s what surprises me. The emails never mentioned the 24-hour deadline for changes without fees. Nor did they warn Yashan to take greater oversight in the future by checking email confirmations.

Opportunity missed.

Stan Thompson also had a problem with a passenger’s name on an Air Canada booking. Luckily, he did manage to get a correction without penalty.

Instead of writing to customer relations, he found the names and email addresses for Air Canada’s executive contacts at a U.S. consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

He sent an email to Twyla Robinson, general manager of customer relations, and sent a copy to me, describing a ticket mix-up that resulted in higher costs and delays.

“My son moved to Alberta four years ago when he was 21 years old, and each year his mom and I bring him home for Christmas to spend some time with his family,” he told Robinson.

“We booked a return plane ticket back in October from Calgary to Toronto, but there may have been a glitch with the online process. Even though I put my son’s name in as the passenger, it defaulted back to my name when I put in my Aeroplan number.”

The problem was discovered only in December and his son was told to cancel the ticket, which cost $641.71, and buy a new one. He would get a credit only for the tax of $101.71.

“We had to purchase a new ticket for $952.51,” his father said. “To add insult to injury, they would not even give me the same flight I had already booked, which caused a lot of logistical issues on our end.”

His email to Twyla Robinson, sent on Dec. 23, drew a quick reply from Anthony Doyle, managing director of customer contact centres. He promised to have his team review the case.

Early on Dec. 24, Thompson got a call from Air Canada’s Nova Scotia office, giving him a full credit for the extra money paid above the original ticket price.

His story shows that no-cost corrections can be made beyond 24 hours under certain conditions, especially when the airline may have some responsibility for the problem.

The lesson is to check your tickets for accuracy as soon as you make the booking. Each airline has different rules for correcting mistakes.