Tom Smith Travel

Airline News,  Air Tickets,  Frequent Flyer Programs & Service Fees.

Tom bound for Hong Kong on a Cathay Pacific delivery flight! Riding up front!

News and Fare deals for airline tickets around the USA and the world  from Tom Smith Travel

Travelers who do not reconfirm their flights are really at risk.

It has happened a couple times this year.  A traveler calls me from the airport or getting ready to go to the airport and he finds out that his flight was cancelled by the airline or it has already left.  According to the passenger contract that each passengers has with the carrier, an airline can change the schedule and/or cancel the flight.  It is the responsibility of the passenger to reconfirm his/her itinerary.  This is so easy to do!  All you need do is call me or email me and I am always happy to reconfirm for you.  Or you can call the airline directly.  For domestic USA flights call 24 hours in advance for International flights call 72 hours in advance.  I wish more travelers would do this….it saves such alot of hassle and frustration!

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Beginning Jan. 30, 2010 we will be able to ticket Jet Blue!

Jet Blue flies from Portland, Oregon!

Effective January 30, 2010, JetBlue (B6) will migrate from ticketless carrier participation to electronic ticketing participation in Apollo.  As an example Jet Blue has a $99 fare from Portland to Long Beach, California!  And $349.00 round trip Portland to New York/JFK!

Changes:

• All JetBlue content available via Apollo.
• Pricing, booking and ticketing processes match all other full participant carriers.
• Last seat availability through direct access.
• Code share and interline Electronic Ticketing with Lufthansa (LH), Cape Air (9K) and Aer Lingus (EI)
• In the near future support for Seat Maps will be implemented.

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Service Fees for Airline tickets (yes, the airline charges us to issue tickets…..but we can do it better than they do!)  :

We have a $40.00 per ticket/per person service fee for any airline ticket issued.  Please note that you will be charged this service fee for any tickets issued.  If you have seperate tickets for a long trip there will be two seperate service fees charged.  Per ticket.  Please note that this is per person.  Thank you and I am sure that you understand that this is for our professional service to you.

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Mileage Programs for Frequent Flyers

For those travelers who are members of a frequent flyer program with any airline, or for that matter any frequent guest with a hotel chain or car rental chain we are always happy to add your membership number to your reservation.  It is the goal of many of these programs to NOT give you your miles so you need to be aware of this when reading your statement from the mileage program.  If you have not been credited with your miles or stay or car rental you will need to proove that you in fact did fly, sleep or drive!  The only way that these programs will credit your miles should they not show it on your statement,  is if you provide them with proof, hard copy proof.  We will be happy to provide you the hard copies of your passenger receipt or reservation and in fact we do every time we make reservations and ticket you as our client.  We are, as a travel agent, not allowed to get in between you and the mileage/frequent flyer program folks. If you have a frequent flyer membership number in your personal profile with Tom Smith Travel it will automatically be posted to your reservation.  Just give us your Frequent Flyer information and we will always add it to your reservations. We can however provide you with the exact proof they need.  You will need to deal with the program directly yourself and in some cases we have seen our clients have their attorney write a letter on their behalf to get their miles credited to their frequent flyer account.  Honestly, the airlines really do not want to give you your miles so you have to be diligent.  We will help you all we can by providing you copies of the passenger receipt of your airline ticket.  We cannot provide you with copies of your boarding passes (you receive these when you board an aircraft),  Nor can we provide you with copies of your car rental agreement ( you receive this when you pick up your car) Nor can we provide you with a copy of your receipt when you check out of a hotel (you need to get a receipt when you check out).  We can give you addresses to write to and the correct place to plea your case.  The good rule is to remember;  never to throw away any paperwork we send you or you are given while traveling until after you are back home and you see your miles credited on your frequent flyer account. The airline will quickly deny you the miles if you cannot produce the hard copy.

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