Resources - Executive Travel | We Simplify Travel

RESOURCES

DEPARTING SOON? CHECK OUT THESE TOOLS THAT SHOULD MAKE YOUR TRIP RUN SMOOTHLY.

Get the latest COVID-19 updates. Click here

COVID-19

The airlines continue to enhance their cleaning protocols and are putting additional new guidelines in place in order for us all to stay safe and healthy during this COVID-19 pandemic. As companies begin to travel, it will be important to stay up to date as guidelines, entry requirements, and policies will continue to change.

Click the links below for updates:

ONLINE BOOKING

Executive Travel supports many of the corporate travel online booking tools. We work with our clients to customize their site configuration incorporating preferred programs, policy, and notification or approval processes, just as a few examples.

Click for online resources:

AIRLINE CHECK-IN

One way to cut down on check-in time at the airport is to go through the process online, ahead of your scheduled arrival time. Using this option simplifies your check-in process at the airport with baggage check-in at the counter and many times you can also secure your seats ahead of the crowd through online check-in services.

Flight Status

Have you ever wondered where the plane is arriving from that you are to depart on or the seat configuration for a particular aircraft on your preferred carrier? Verify the most up to date arrival and departure times for your flight. Learn More >

FAA Flight Delay Map

Select a region or search by airport to verify areas of delay based on the air traffic control command center and Federal Aviation Administration. Learn More >

Click the links below for online check-in options:

BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE

Planning ahead and packing properly can facilitate the screening process and ease your travel experience at the airport. It is important to know what you can pack in your carry-on and checked baggage before arriving at the airport.

Click the links below for baggage policies:

TRAVEL INSURANCE

In today’s changing travel environment, it’s important to protect your travel investment so you can relax and enjoy your trip. Unforeseen events such as flight delays, baggage loss, or even a sudden sickness or injury could impact your travel plans. For your convenience, we offer a Travelex Insurance Services protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected.

Protect your dream vacation from the unexpected. For specific questions regarding benefits and optional upgrades or to purchase over the phone, please contact Travelex Insurance Services at 1-800-504-7883 and reference location number 27-0120.

The product descriptions provided here are only brief summaries and may be changed without notice. The full coverage terms and details, including limitations and exclusions, are contained in the insurance policy. Travelex Insurance Services, Inc. CA Agency License #0D10209. Travel Insurance is underwritten by Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company, NAIC #22276. V94

AIRPORT PARKING

SpotHero – Find and book parking in seconds

One way to cut down time in an unknown city when you are going to need parking is to compare pricing in your destination and pre-pay for that spot. The convenience of using the SpotHero mobile app allows you to scan or show your mobile parking pass upon arrival. Learn More >

Parking Reservations

Download FREE Airport Parking:

MY ITINERARY

Need to access the details of your itinerary? Enter your agency booking confirmation and last name here in order to obtain the pertinent details of your trip. Learn More >

TRUSTED TRAVELER PROGRAMS

Take advantage of a program that allows members to use expedited lanes at airports and when crossing international borders. Find the program that is right for you. Learn More >

Travel Advisories

As a first step in planning any trip abroad, check the Travel Advisories for your intended destination. You can see the world at a glance on this color coded map. Learn More >

Global Disaster Alert System

GDACS is a cooperation framework between the United Nations, the European Commission and disaster managers worldwide to improve alerts, information exchange and coordination in the first phase after major sudden-onset disasters. Learn More >

VISAS & PASSPORTS

Visas & Passports

Sometimes a journey of a thousand miles begins with a visa. Allow VisaHQ to assist with informing you of entry requirements or provide the necessary documents you may need prior to your departure. Learn More >

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

Get a fast and easy calculator for converting one currency to another using the latest live exchange rates. Learn More >

WORLD CLOCKS

Many of us are starting our days as the other half of the world may be en-route home from the office. Find out what time it is currently or the time difference between your current location and your next destination. Learn More >

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TRAVEL BLOG

Weekly travel updates from Steve!

I have spent a lot of time in Europe this year and have put together a list of things I appreciate about the European lifestyle that I think we could learn from. I also put together a list of 11 American habits that I think makes us the envy of the world. 11 European habits ...

Brian Wallingford November 19, 2024

I think I just enjoyed the perfect flight! – I recently returned from a trip to Europe. My return flight from Rome in October was eventful in many ways. I changed my return day and because the direct flight from Rome to Chicago was sold out I grabbed the Rome to Washington IAD flight which ...

Brian Wallingford November 12, 2024

Every year one of the most-read articles I write is my annual list of hotel pet peeves. As you know I travel a lot. During my travels, I stay in a lot of different hotel rooms and I am able to notice a lot of things that are good, bad, and ugly about hotels. Every ...

Brian Wallingford October 29, 2024

In late September, a major development in the airline industry caught my attention—American Airlines’ flight attendants finally ratified a new contract, securing a 20% raise. This followed a 40% raise for AA pilots. While this is certainly a win for the hardworking crews who keep the skies safe and comfortable, it also raises serious questions ...

Brian Wallingford October 22, 2024

We just had a friend return from Europe and they showed me their rental car billing receipt. I almost fell out of my chair. The car rental cost was $40.73 a day for six days for a total of $244.39. Sounds reasonable up to now doesn’t it? Are you sitting down? Get this! The total ...

Brian Wallingford October 15, 2024

Bonus edition Here is a list of 5 short videos you should watch before traveling internationally – I have put together a short list of videos for you to watch before your next international trip. We think watching these will help answer questions about foreign currency exchange, 18 point checklist, safety checklist, how to use your ...

Brian Wallingford October 8, 2024

Everyone is shocked when they take a peek at airfares today. Airfares that used to be $300RT are now $700RT. People are looking for ways to save money when they buy airline tickets for the holidays. I decided I would provide you with my list of 10 easy steps I recommend you take to find ...

Brian Wallingford October 1, 2024

Never, never, ever exchange currency at an airport currency exchange booth – On my recent trip to Rome, Italy, two weeks ago I had a connecting flight through Washington Dulles Airport (IAD). As I was rushing through Terminal C, it dawned on me that I had forgotten to get any Euros before my flight. No problem, ...

Brian Wallingford September 24, 2024

One of the biggest scams in the travel industry is when airlines sell people airline frequent flyer miles. 90% of the time you can always purchase an airline ticket for cash for less than the cost of buying miles and then redeeming them on a frequent flyer ticket. Let’s look at a recent offer to ...

Brian Wallingford September 17, 2024

This week I am traveling to Orlando, Florida to attend a business meeting and then flying the Friendly Skies to Rome, Italy, and then driving to Montone, Umbria, Italy to visit the amazing www.VillaDestinoItaly.com to work on installing a swimming pool heater and cover for the fall season. It will be a whirlwind trip. Boy has the ...

Brian Wallingford September 10, 2024

I just returned from a same day business trip to St. Louis, MO to speak at the Global Business Travel Association – St. Louis Chapter. I had a busy week at work so decided to fly down early in the morning and fly back home after my meeting the same day. I only fly Southwest ...

Brian Wallingford August 27, 2024

My iPhone camera is my best travel resource. I use my iPhone to take pictures of almost everything when I travel. For example, instead of keeping all those receipts for meals I simply pull out my iPhone and click a picture and send it to the accounting department rather than stick the receipt in my ...

Brian Wallingford August 20, 2024

Having just returned from a wonderful 7 day Alaska cruise I wanted to share with you some of the very important things you need to consider when selecting your perfect Alaska cruise. Here you go…. Step 1: Find a friendly travel advisor to find the perfect fit and price for your Alaska cruise. Save time, ...

Brian Wallingford August 13, 2024

Brian Wallingford August 6, 2024

This week I am taking a 7 day cruise onboard the luxury Seabourn cruise line on their vessel Odyssey sailing from Juneau, Alaska southbound to Vancouver, BC, Canada. We are celebrating our 50th anniversary (I am really not that OLD!). Alaska has become one of several bucket list destinations for many travelers young and old. ...

Brian Wallingford August 2, 2024

Decades ago all the major airlines announced they would be installing seat back video screens to enhance the in-flight experience. In October 2019, Forbes Magazine had an article announcing, “Airlines Sound The Death Knell For In-Flight Seatback Screens”. Fast forward 5 years and now there is a new race to put new giant seatback screens in business ...

Brian Wallingford July 30, 2024

The worldwide computer glitch that hit the travel industry last week is continuing to disrupt travelers around the world. Despite efforts to resolve the issue, its impact continues to affect travel plans, especially during this peak summer travel season. As you can imagine, many flights were already fully booked before the glitch, and with thousands ...

Brian Wallingford July 23, 2024

Every article you read says exactly the opposite. TSA reported that passenger traffic set a record during the July 4th weekend. How can I possibly say that air travel is slowing down? Things just don’t feel right. Here are four observations that lead me to believe that the travel industry is slowing down. #1. Airlines ...

Brian Wallingford July 16, 2024

Here are six ways to outfox the massive crowds and full venues in Europe this summer – If you are like me I often like to travel “on-the-fly” and tend to make some of the minor reservations at the last minute, on-the-go. Well, finding last minute hotels and tours in Europe this summer is like ...

Brian Wallingford July 9, 2024

U.S. travelers can now renew their passports online through a pilot program launched by the U.S. Department of State in June. The new online system allows U.S. passport holders to start a renewal application during a brief window each day, closing once the system reaches a designated number of new applications, according to a statement from ...

Brian Wallingford July 2, 2024

Southwest Airlines is under the gun from Wallstreet investors to improve their financial returns for investors. Since the pandemic the “original” low-cost airline has wallowed around with sloppy financial returns that are 50% of those of Delta, and United Airlines. This caused the vultures of Elliott Management and other hedge funds on Wallstreet to buy ...

Brian Wallingford June 25, 2024

I travel so much that I must admit that simple little things make me joyful. Here is my short list of silly things that make my day when traveling; 1.Finding enough room in the overhead bin for my carry-on. 2.Having my arrival flight park right next to the gate of my departing connecting flight. 3.Finding ...

Brian Wallingford June 18, 2024

Recently a traveler returned from London and told me every retail store he went into would not allow him to pay with pounds, only credit cards. We are seeing more and more countries moving rapidly to cashless purchases. I don’t know if I like that or not. I always worry that my bank will view ...

Brian Wallingford June 11, 2024

I was expecting coach class airfares to Europe this year during the summer months to climb into the stratosphere. I am shocked! This week I was checking last minute flights from Omaha to Rome and the price was less than $1000 RT. This is less than half the price they were last June. Summer travel ...

Brian Wallingford June 4, 2024

I am writing to you today from the desert oasis city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). I am here to attend Virtuoso Symposium, which is our travel company’s consortium to access all the luxury travel suppliers around the world. Here are my twelve observations about traveling to Dubai. 1. I’m visiting the tallest building ...

Brian Wallingford May 21, 2024

App #1 – Open Table is one of my favorite travel apps – The OpenTable app allows you to make advance reservations at restaurants around the world. The first thing I do when I land in a city is do a quick search on OpenTable of restaurants near my hotel that offer the food that I ...

Brian Wallingford May 14, 2024

I refuse to pay extra for those roomier seats with extra legroom offered by the airlines under the brands of Economy Plus (UA), Main Cabin Extra (AA), and Comfort+ (DL). So here is what I do to bag those seats without paying for them. The majority of people are like me and don’t want to ...

Brian Wallingford May 7, 2024

Our good friends at Google put out a list of the top destinations that people research airfares from the United States for travel during the months of June, July and August of 2024. CLICK HERE for more. No surprises as New York City, Orlando and Las Vegas continue at the top of the domestic list – These three ...

Brian Wallingford April 30, 2024

Wow! Last week I shared with you that Executive Travel was sponsoring a trip for our customers to Istanbul, Turkey. While our group was enjoying all the highlights of Istanbul, which includes the Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque, Bopherous cruise, spice market along with amazing food and drink, I decided to venture over to Greece and ...

Brian Wallingford April 23, 2024

Today I am flying to Istanbul, Turkey for a business trip with some of our customers and staff. This will be a fast and furious trip as we will only be there for just four days and then we fly back home. Our flight from Chicago will be non-stop on Turkish Airlines. Many people are ...

Brian Wallingford April 16, 2024

It seems like almost daily I get someone to ask for my advice about when they should lock in and buy an airline ticket. Will prices go down? Will prices go up? Recently a person shared with me that they were flying to the Caribbean between Christmas and New Years. This is prime time and ...

Brian Wallingford April 9, 2024

United Airlines recently announced they will be allowing up to five friends and family members to pool (combine) their frequent flyer miles to redeem for travel. This is big news for infrequent travelers who can never generate enough miles to redeem for travel. Now instead of redeeming the miles for stupid things like magazine subscriptions ...

Brian Wallingford April 2, 2024

I am returning today from a week-long business trip from Italy. Our management team at Executive Travel held a week-long strategic planning retreat in the historic walled medieval village of Montone, Umbria, Italy. Our stay was at the stunning Villa Destino which is located in Montone in the heart of Italy. This central location allowed our team ...

Brian Wallingford March 26, 2024

Here is the perfect solution – Executive Travel recently acquired the luxury 6 bedroom Villa Destino that is located in the center of everything in Italy and is the perfect home base for you to explore Italy. From Rome to Florence to Siena to Assisi this is the easy peasy way for you and your ...

Brian Wallingford March 19, 2024

The Cornerstone Travel Index, which documents the average business travel spending for airline tickets, hotel stays, and car rental costs has risen to $1446 for each domestic business trip. This is an 11% increase compared to the trip cost from December 2023. The average business cost for airline tickets for January was $750 (up 17% ...

Brian Wallingford March 12, 2024

Last week American and United Airlines both raised the price of checking in luggage for a domestic flight at the airport from $35 to $40 for the first bag and $50 for the second bag ($5 less if paying online). This is just about the same price that you would pay if you shipped your ...

Brian Wallingford March 5, 2024

The Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is one of the best travel deals of the year. The pass lets you bring a companion with you on any Southwest flight for free (plus the cost of taxes and fees that are as low as $6 one-way). Normally you have to earn 135,000 qualifying points or fly 100 ...

Brian Wallingford February 27, 2024

Renting a car in Europe is much different than renting a car in the USA. I recently rented a car in Italy and it reminded me of all the things you need to be aware of before you arrive in Europe to pick up your car. Here you go: 1. Get an international driver’s license ...

Brian Wallingford February 20, 2024

Executive Travel last week finalized the acquisition of a stunning villa in Umbria, Italy, nestled within the historic medieval village of Montone, Italy. Villa Destino boasts six bedrooms and seven baths, offering unparalleled luxury and privacy for you, your family, and friends. It’s the ideal retreat to serve as your base camp for an unforgettable journey across Italy. ...

Brian Wallingford February 13, 2024

More and more destinations are having travel warnings issued by the U.S. State Department CLICK HERE for all advisories. The department has four advisory levels that range from #1 Exercise normal precautions, #2 Exercise increased caution, #3 Reconsider travel, and #4 Do not travel. CLICK HERE to hear more. Here is our 12 Point Safety Checklist – We recommend ...

Brian Wallingford February 6, 2024

This week I have been checking the airline prices to Europe for this spring. I have found roundtrip prices from Omaha to Rome for around $695 from now until April (depending on the days of travel); $626 to Paris; $709 to Vienna; $566 to London; $660 to Frankfurt; $638 to Amsterdam; and $789 to Athens. ...

Brian Wallingford January 30, 2024

For the last 3 weeks I have shared my annual list of Travel Industry Predictions for 2024. This is my last of 60 predictions for the year. Let’s see how many come true. CLICK HERE to see the previous 45 predictions. 46. Short airline flights will be outlawed within Europe in 2024 – Trains will replace short flights ...

Brian Wallingford January 23, 2024

This week, I will add predictions 31-45 to my annual list of travel industry predictions. My next 15 predictions are coming next week. CLICK HERE to read my first 30 predictions. 31. Hotels will charge you a housekeeping fee of $15 a night –The pandemic has provided the hotels with the opportunity to start charging a fee for housekeeping. ...

Brian Wallingford January 16, 2024

This week, I will add predictions 16-30, with my next 15 predictions coming next week. CLICK HERE to read my first 15 predictions. 16. Airlines will launch hidden fuel surcharge fees to generate revenue and hide extra costs – The airlines are running out of ways to increase revenue in 2024 so I expect they will turn to ...

Brian Wallingford January 9, 2024

During the past 21 years over 70% of my predictions have come true. Over the next four weeks, I will provide you with 60 of my travel industry crystal ball predictions. Here is week 1 of what I think will happen in 2024. Part 2 of 4 will arrive in your inbox next week. Happy ...

Brian Wallingford January 2, 2024

This will be one of the busiest weekends of the year for flying. Here is my advice if you are brave enough to fly this weekend and during the coming Christmas and New Year holidays. #1 – Download the airline APP on your mobile phone and check-in online before your head to the airport –Print ...

Brian Wallingford December 19, 2023

1. You can really see a drop in travel this month as planes are not full – This was especially true on international flights to and from Europe. While business class was full on our flights to Italy from NYC I noticed that a lot of people were using miles for upgrades and freebie tickets. Coach ...

Brian Wallingford December 12, 2023

International travel is expected to continue to be hot in 2024. Listed below is our top 10 international travel destinations (both regions and cities) for the year ahead. Three of the destinations I have identified as (Beat the heat) destinations for those looking for cooler summer vacation alternatives. 1. Greece – While Italy often takes the ...

Brian Wallingford December 5, 2023

Hotel room rates have gone sky high the last two years as the tsunami of post-COVID travelers hit the highways and skyways. Finally, we are starting to see some of the hotel rates begin to moderate. In October the U.S. hotel average daily rate was $161, which is up 3 percent from the previous year. ...

Brian Wallingford November 28, 2023

I am writing you today from the desert oasis city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). I am heading home from a week of business trips to Bangkok and New Delhi. I was originally scheduled to return through Singapore but by a stroke of luck I was searching the Emirates app and, to my surprise, ...

Brian Wallingford November 21, 2023

This week I am traveling to Singapore, Bangkok and then on to New Delhi for business meetings. My travel reminded me of how much more complicated travel becomes when you travel internationally, especially to Southeast Asia. Preparing for this trip reminded me how much more has to be done by travelers BEFORE you travel. Here ...

Brian Wallingford November 14, 2023

The island of Maui, Hawaii suffered massive destruction and the death of 97 people caused by wildfires whipped by the wind. This was followed just two weeks ago by a massive hurricane Otis, with winds of 150 mph killing over an estimated 100 people in Acapulco, Mexico. Looking at photos from both tragedies brings tears ...

Brian Wallingford November 7, 2023

I am writing you this week as I am on the final days of a Mississippi River cruise onboard American Cruise Lines ship Melody. This 7-night cruise starts in Memphis, TN, and travels downstream all the way to New Orleans. This is a wonderful itinerary if you enjoy learning about Civil War history, southern culture, ...

Brian Wallingford October 31, 2023

Last week the U.S. State Department issued an advisory for all international travel for U.S. citizens, encouraging them to take caution. What in the world does this mean? What do I need to be cautious of? Who do I need to be cautious of? What kind of violence can I expect? What countries do I need to ...

Brian Wallingford October 24, 2023

Listed below are some of the tidbits that we learned about at Executive Travel’s business travel management program in Fort Lauderdale this past weekend. Wow was it humid in FLL. Makes me appreciate living in Nebraska (I may not say that in January!) . It’s official, the travel industry has rebounded to surpass pre-COVID levels ...

Brian Wallingford October 17, 2023

The largest airline in the U.S. has major financial issues on the horizon that appear to make it very vulnerable if the economy slips into a recession in 2024. Take one look at the stock price of AA and you will see that in the last 5 years their stock price has collapsed from a high of ...

Brian Wallingford October 10, 2023

I am writing to you this week after a recent trip to the Big Apple as I attended a travel conference looking into the future of travel. Like all conferences this year the big buzz word is Generative AI (ChatGPT). Change is happening fast and it appears it will only happen faster in The future. ...

Brian Wallingford October 3, 2023

If you are looking to find amazing prices to travel to Europe then now is the time to get up and go. Airlines have added hundreds of additional flights across the pond to Europe and now are discounting airfares to get people to jump on the airplanes this winter. Last week we shared with you that round-trip ...

Brian Wallingford September 26, 2023

Executive Travel has just completed a comprehensive analysis of airfares from the United States to key European cities this fall and found a dramatic decline in airfare prices starting in October and running through March of 2024. The average round-trip airfare from Omaha to 9 European cities in September was $1,650. Airfares for travel in ...

Brian Wallingford September 19, 2023

Last week we expected airfares were probably going to fall. This week we have seen large drops in airfares for travel the next 5 months (notwithstanding prices around holiday travel windows). We are seeing some prices go down $75 to $150 RT to certain destinations. Flights to Europe this winter have fallen below $1000 RT ...

Brian Wallingford September 12, 2023

Would you believe that airfares rose an amazing 72% in 2022 after the pandemic? Add to that hotel price increases of 30% and the daily cost to attend business meetings a whopping 58%. That was the finding of a recent report issued by GBTA. The good news for travelers is that the 2023 global travel ...

Brian Wallingford September 6, 2023

CLICK HERE to watch this week’s first episode. You can watch or just listen. I think you will really enjoy it. Half of Maui’s hotel rooms sit empty as tourist officials beg for business – The catastrophic fire that devastated Lahaina, Maui several weeks ago and left over 114 people dead has caused a massive exodus of tourists ...

Brian Wallingford August 29, 2023

During the last decade ultra-low-cost airlines Frontier, Allegiant and Spirit have expanded rapidly and more than doubled in size. Many people flock to them as they promote $49-$99 airfares. The business model that these airlines use is what we call unbundled pricing. This means that everything such as checked luggage, carry-on, seat assignment, etc. costs ...

Brian Wallingford August 22, 2023

Some of you might be old enough to remember the “Twilight Zone” science fiction horror TV show by Rod Serling. The show had the famous opening of, “You’re traveling through another dimension – a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop, the ...

Brian Wallingford August 14, 2023

The hotel industry is on a massive terror to build new hotel rooms this year. In the second quarter alone, 5,572 hotel projects were in the pipeline adding 660,000 more rooms in the U.S.. It is amazing how the industry has gone from famine to feast in the last 2 years. Americans are traveling the ...

Brian Wallingford August 8, 2023

Every year one of the most read articles I write is my annual list of hotel pet peeves. As you know I travel a lot. During my travels, I stay in a lot of different hotel rooms and I am able to notice a lot of things that are good, bad and ugly about hotels. Every ...

Brian Wallingford August 1, 2023

The EU will be requiring Americans to purchase a VISA to enter Europe next year. That is the bad news. The good news is that the cost will only be about $8 and the online application will take just a few minutes to fill out and be approved. Basically, this is an easy way to ...

Brian Wallingford July 25, 2023

In recent weeks, both Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines have launched airfare sales for travel from mid-August to mid-December. Southwest and Alaska Airlines are often the two airlines that launch airfare sales to try to fill empty seats. On the surface, this might indicate that there is a slowdown in the domestic travel market this ...

Brian Wallingford July 18, 2023

International travel this year has snowballed as post COVID travelers have taken to the skies in mass. Unfortunately, the U.S. State Department who is in charge of processing passport applications has been falling far behind processing the 400,000 – 500,000 passport applications they receive each week. If you are planning to travel internationally before Labor ...

Brian Wallingford July 11, 2023

Many people are headed to Europe this year and I have been amazed when we ask them to check their passports and they do not realize that some countries will not allow you into their country if your passport is set to expire within 6 months of your date of entry. Some countries use 3 ...

Brian Wallingford June 27, 2023

Major tourist attractions this year will no doubt accelerate a movement started pre-pandemic to charge fees to access certain parts of cities around the world during peak seasons. This year tourists flooded into many cities like Athens, Rome, Reykjavik, Iceland, Dublin, Ireland, London, and many more. In an effort to modify the total number of ...

Brian Wallingford June 20, 2023

I am writing you this week as I am about to board my plane home after spending a few days inspecting hotels and a luxury villa that can delight the hundreds of customers we assist traveling to Italy every year. Here are 8 short observations of our trip so far: 1.Tourists have invaded Italy – Italy ...

Brian Wallingford June 13, 2023

My friends needed to be in Las Vegas a few weeks ago and after looking at the cost of flying from Omaha to LAS decided that they would drive rather than pay over $1000 RT per person for a last-minute airline ticket. Airlines have been quietly increasing prices and I have been amazed at how ...

Brian Wallingford June 6, 2023

Using this list will make sure you don’t have many hiccups along the way. 1 – Valid Passport – Check the expiration date of your passport. Ensure that it is valid for at least six months beyond your intended stay in the destination country. If your passport is expiring soon, renew it before your trip. 2 ...

Brian Wallingford May 23, 2023

Last week 99% of the pilots for Southwest Airlines voted to authorize a strike. Last month American Airlines’ pilots did the same thing. United Airlines is also in the middle of contract negotiations. Although these are big headlines this does not mean that they are striking. Most of the time these tactics are used for ...

Brian Wallingford May 16, 2023

Although not as good as dropping resort fees altogether, this move is very positive as it takes resort fees ($25 to $75) and makes them transparent at the time of booking. This move comes almost two years after the state of Pennsylvania lawsuit was settled. If this indeed comes to pass, the consumer should be ...

Brian Wallingford May 9, 2023

Our friends at Cornerstone Information Systems shares with us monthly data with the average costs for the basic components for business travel. The two-month period ending in March 2023 shows that the average trip spend was $1552. This is composed of $780 for airfare, $551 for hotel costs, and $191 for a car rental. As ...

Brian Wallingford May 2, 2023

I’m writing you today from Guangzhou, China, as I am on a short three-day visit to the Canton Trade Fair in Guangzhou with my son Matt. The Canton Fair takes place twice a year and is the largest trade export fair in the world. Manufacturers from China and Southeast Asia come here to display their ...

Brian Wallingford April 25, 2023

Southwest Airlines suffered a catastrophic meltdown several months ago causing thousands of flight cancellations. Despite the problems I continue to think they run a pretty good airline. Here are my observations of the good, the bad, and the ugly about the airline. Good – The flights always seem on time. These guys generally seem to run ...

Brian Wallingford April 18, 2023

I travel so much that I must admit that simple little things make me joyful. Here is my short list of silly things that make my day when traveling; Please share with me a few of the things that bring you a little joy when traveling. Women of the Midwest – Travel Solo Together! – ...

Brian Wallingford April 11, 2023

This week I am headed toward Warsaw, Poland, to review the activities of OSHU (www.OperationSafeHarborUkraine.com). This is a bitter-sweet journey as I am going over to thank the many volunteers that helped us house, feed, and provide medical support for almost 2,000 Ukrainian women and children refugees. This month marks the end of phase 1, which ...

Brian Wallingford April 4, 2023

There are a handful of cities in the U.S. where I recommend that you should not rent a car but use taxis or services like Uber or Lyft to get around. I will always remember my $40 daily car rental in San Francisco when I arrived at the hotel I paid a $75 daily valet ...

Brian Wallingford March 28, 2023

We had a meeting of all our vacation agents on Monday and we went around the room asking each agent what was the most popular destination this month that they were researching for their customers. Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii were the first words out of their mouths. It seems like all the bad press of gang ...

Brian Wallingford March 21, 2023

That is the question we are asked a lot by travelers looking to head to the sun and fun beaches of Mexico after a recent news article about two people being killed along the Mexican border by gangs. The U.S. State Department has “do not travel” advisories in place for 6 of the 32 states ...

Brian Wallingford March 14, 2023

Americans who plan to travel to the 26 members of Europe’s Schengen Zone in 2024 will have to apply for a new travel authorization called ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System). This new travel authorization form will be required upon entry and is another layer that the European Union is using to protect and strengthen its ...

Brian Wallingford March 6, 2023

Brian Wallingford February 28, 2023

Many people are scrambling to renew their passports as we come out of COVID protocol and people set their sights on traveling the world again. Visiting the U.S. Dept. of State’s website today it shows that it takes an average of 8-11 weeks for routine passport renewal and 5-7 weeks if you pay an expedited ...

Brian Wallingford February 21, 2023

We recently surveyed 258 people and asked them if the FCC should remove the ban on using your phone to make calls during flight. An amazing 96% of those surveyed said “NO” to the question, “Would you like calling to be allowed while in-flight?” Some airlines in Europe are opening up to the idea of ...

Brian Wallingford February 13, 2023

Had a quick business trip to Germany this week. I thought I would share a few observations of how the travel world is evolving post Covid. Airplanes are full up front and empty in back – Every seat in business class was full on the flights over and back. Less than half of the coach seats ...

Brian Wallingford February 7, 2023

I flew on four United flights this past week and four times heard their motto ”Service is our passion but safety is our priority”. I hope their priority about safety is true but for United to say that service is their passion is laughable. They obviously don’t know what service is. I could write a book about ...

Brian Wallingford January 31, 2023

During the past twenty years, over 70% of my predictions have come true. Listed below are my final 10 of 40 predictions for the year. If you missed the first 30 predictions, CLICK HERE. #31 – Some European cities will charge tourists a $10 daily visitor fee – Fearing that some major tourist cities are getting ...

Brian Wallingford January 24, 2023

This week, I will add predictions 21-30, with my last 2023 travel predictions coming next week. CLICK HERE to read my first 20 predictions. #21 – Congress will pull the plug on credit card rewards in 2023 – There is a bill in Congress that is proposing to eliminate or reduce the ‘Swipe fee” that merchants ...

Brian Wallingford January 17, 2023

During the past twenty years over 70% of my predictions have come true. Last week I provided you with predictions 1-10. This week I will provide you with 10 more travel industry crystal ball predictions for this year. Here is week 2 of what I think will happen in 2023. Part 3 of 4 will ...

Brian Wallingford January 10, 2023

During the past twenty years over 70% of my predictions have come true. Over the next four weeks, I will provide you with 40 of my travel industry crystal ball predictions. Here is week 1 of what I think will happen in 2023. Part 2 of 4 will arrive in your inbox next week. Happy ...

Brian Wallingford January 4, 2023

Here are my TOP 10 international places to travel in 2023 – If you have a bucket list these are the destinations you need to add in 2023 if you have not visited already. 1. Greece – Greece is hot, hot, hot in 2023. Everything starts and stops in Athens. Athens is the capital of Greece ...

Brian Wallingford December 20, 2022

We can still save the day for guys that have procrastinated buying their wife (or significant other) a Christmas gift. If you want to really see someone’s eyes light up on Christmas morning give them a travel gift certificate. It is the easiest gift to buy and the one that your friends and family will ...

Brian Wallingford December 13, 2022

A few weeks ago I was traveling from India to Europe on Emirates Airlines and was shocked to read that I could make phone calls when flying. I even tested the system by calling my son Matt (and woke him up) just to see if the system really worked. It worked slick as a whistle. ...

Brian Wallingford December 6, 2022

Many people are hopeful that the high inflation we saw this fall in the U.S. will continue to fall in the coming months. The psychology of high inflation, however, could have a major impact in the coming months as employees in the airline industry, hotels, food service, and even convention center staff have all sent ...

Brian Wallingford November 29, 2022

This week promises to be the busiest week of the year for airline travel as everyone heads for grandma’s house for Thanksgiving. This is also a time you will see a lot of families, first-time travelers, a lot of kids and babies, and seniors in the airports. This means that parking lots will be full ...

Brian Wallingford November 22, 2022

I usually fly to India about 2 times a year to visit factories we work with for one of our family businesses. For the last two months I have been making all my airline and hotel reservations and submitted all my visa applications to the Indian government. For the last month I have been waiting ...

Brian Wallingford November 16, 2022

# 1 – American and United have the best domestic frequent flyer programs – Of the big three domestic airlines AA and UA have websites that are pretty easy to use to find freebie space. They appear to have a lot more “saver award” space that allows for redemption for a reasonable amount of frequent flyer (FF) miles ...

Brian Wallingford November 8, 2022

Cathay Pacific Airlines, which has its hub in Hong Kong, recently announced they were restarting their Hong Kong to New York flight in the coming days. The new flight will fly the polar route which means it flies over eastern Russia. They originally stopped the route when Russia invaded Ukraine this spring however, now that ...

Brian Wallingford November 1, 2022

If you look at all the airlines, hotels, car rental companies, and travel companies everyone is announcing they have surpassed the revenue they generated pre-COVID in 2019. Airline prices and profits are strong. Hotels have high prices and strong revenues and car rental companies can’t find enough cars to rent. By all metrics, COVID’s impact ...

Brian Wallingford October 25, 2022

United Airlines recently announced they want to be the King over the Pond by expanding to multiple cities in Europe next year. In 2023 they will have almost 30% more seats to Europe than in 2019. Many of the airlines are holding their breath worrying about how the predicted recession will affect international travel and ...

Brian Wallingford October 18, 2022

The strong U.S. Dollar is making travel to Europe the bargain of the decade. Over the last two years, the dollar has risen by over 20% against the Euro, so that you can find amazing value when traveling to Europe right now. To put things in perspective the current value of the dollar (.97 EURO ...

Brian Wallingford October 11, 2022

On Monday I finished my business meeting early and decided to jump on a non-stop flight home from Las Vegas to Omaha on Frontier Airlines. I found a cheap one-way airfare of $169 so I made the reservation and headed to the airport. I had not flown on Frontier for at least 10 years but ...

Brian Wallingford October 4, 2022

My son Matt was planning his annual business trip to Bentonville, Arkansas recently and he said he was going to drive there. Being in the travel business that seemed like a long way to drive so I asked him why he would drive such a long distance. He said that it was a 6-hour and ...

Brian Wallingford September 27, 2022

Hotel research firm CBRE is projecting that average daily hotel room rates will increase 14.7% this year and reach $143 a night. This is well above the pre-COVID baseline year of 2019 of $129. Despite the higher rate, only about 6 out of 10 hotel rooms are full which is difficult for me to understand ...

Brian Wallingford September 20, 2022

Everyone is shocked when they take a peek at airfares today. Airfares that used to be $300RT are now $700RT. Google is reporting that from April to August of this year, searches for “cheapest airline tickets” surged more than 240%. People are looking for ways to save money when they buy airline tickets for the holidays. I ...

Brian Wallingford September 13, 2022

Brian Wallingford August 30, 2022

I am writing you this week from Dublin, Ireland. I am here to check out all the hotels and restaurants in advance of thousands of Husker football fans arriving this week for our football game on Saturday. Here are eleven observations from my trip to Ireland so far: August is the perfect month for weather ...

Brian Wallingford August 23, 2022

In the last two years, airfares went down (-36%) like a rock falling off a cliff as COVID hit. This year was the rebound as airfares are estimated to rise an amazing 48%. I have never seen airfares this high in my 35 years in the business. This year has basically been a perfect storm ...

Brian Wallingford August 16, 2022

Every week we have people call us who are in Europe on an escorted tour and have contracted COVID but don’t have travel insurance. This is the worst possible scenario as not only do they have to disconnect from their tour and lose the money they paid for the tour, they have to quarantine and ...

Brian Wallingford August 9, 2022

The pandemic caused the airlines to issue billions of dollars of flight credits. Before last week these credits expired in 12 months and then had no value. Southwest’s announcement now allows great flexibility as the flight credits do not expire at the end of 12 months. I hope other airlines follow Southwest’s lead in this ...

Brian Wallingford August 2, 2022

I am writing you this week from Warsaw. I am here to support the efforts of www.OperationSafeHarborUkraine.com (OSHU). Our company started this humanitarian effort four months ago to provide hotel rooms, food, and medical support to Ukrainian mothers and children fleeing the war in Ukraine. We originally rented 50 rooms. Today we have 111 rooms housing almost ...

Brian Wallingford July 26, 2022

Remember the good old days when you arrived at your rental car and got inside only to enjoy that amazing new car smell? Looking at the odometer, you could see the car only had 1000 miles under the hood. This was the one time you were driving in style. That was pre-covid. A week ago, ...

Brian Wallingford July 19, 2022

Pre-pandemic UA was in 3rd place among the big 3 airlines for seats over the pond. This year United has put the pedal to the metal and expanded to new cities and many more flights in an effort to surpass both Delta and American Airlines. They have added 100’s of thousands of more seats and they ...

Brian Wallingford July 12, 2022

As you know I travel a lot. During my travels, I stay in a lot of different hotel rooms and I am able to notice a lot of things that are good, bad, and ugly about hotels. Every year I update my annual list of top 10 hotel pet peeves. This year I have 12 ...

Brian Wallingford June 28, 2022

I am coming to you this week from Warsaw, Poland as I am visiting www.OperationSafeHarborUkraine.com. This humanitarian effort started in April by Executive Travel offers hotel rooms, food, and medical supplies to Ukrainian mothers and children who have fled the war in Ukraine. I am proud to report we have assisted almost 600 Ukrainians by providing ...

Brian Wallingford June 22, 2022

Hopefully, you have heard the great news from late last week that the U.S. government no longer requires COVID testing prior to returning back into the U.S. This is amazing news for people who travel internationally as the cost and the hassle cost millions and provided little benefit to COVID spreading. Now that masks are ...

Brian Wallingford June 14, 2022

All the airlines are struggling to meet their current schedules. We are seeing a massive number of flight delays, schedule changes, and flight cancellations. Our team is flying to Ohio today every flight is delayed by at least 90 minutes causing a domino effect on their connecting flights. It appears that things may even get worse as ...

Brian Wallingford June 7, 2022

The COVID pandemic put a serious hurt on the travel industry. In the first year of COVID (2020) Executive Travel focused on survival. In 2021 our motto became “survive then thrive” as we successfully recovered with a strong staff and a positive financial position. Now in 2022, “We’re back baby!” This last week Executive Travel’s ...

Brian Wallingford June 1, 2022

As we round the corner of Memorial Day this weekend, we are heading straight into the busy summer travel season. Here are the six things that will be different this summer than last summer. Problem #1 – Airlines will see record flight cancellations and schedule changes this summer – We are already seeing it across the ...

Brian Wallingford May 24, 2022

Travel reservations for the rest of the year are going bonkers. We are already seeing many of the best resorts for the Christmas holidays booked up. If you are planning to take a family vacation during the holidays, you better get going soon. As you have also probably read the prices this Christmas are also ...

Brian Wallingford May 17, 2022

Most people, when they travel, are used to tipping when they eat at a restaurant but have no idea what to do for other tipping situations. Most professional service providers work for really low wages and depend on tips as the primary source of income. Here are my recommendations for tipping when traveling. Restaurant wait staff – 15-20% depending on service. Don’t ...

Brian Wallingford May 10, 2022

Here are 6 reasons why it is foolish to book directly with an airline – I continue to be amazed that people book directly with an airline. This is my 35th year in the travel industry and I just don’t understand why people will accept poor service, allow the airlines to waste your time, and in many ...

Brian Wallingford May 3, 2022

You may be shocked if you take a look at the prices of airfares for the summer. Airlines are raising rates faster than the speed of light. In March alone the airfares were up 28% compared to pre-pandemic March 2019 prices. As the planes fill up the seats left over will see even higher prices. CLICK ...

Brian Wallingford April 27, 2022

Last night a federal judge struck down the CDC mandate requiring the wearing of masks on airplanes, trains, and on all public transportation. Within hours of that ruling, the White House announced they would no longer enforce the mandate for mask-wearing on public transportation. United Airlines and other airlines minutes later unmasked their customers. This is ...

Brian Wallingford April 19, 2022

I am writing you today from Warsaw, Poland as part of our team of volunteers from www.OperationSafeHarborUkraine.com which is assisting Ukrainian refugees displaced by the war. I am so proud of our team of volunteers as they are putting their care and compassion into action by helping people who have lost everything in this tragic war. Our ...

Brian Wallingford April 12, 2022

First, and foremost, this email is to thank our readers from the bottom of my heart for your amazing support by donating to www.OperationSafeHarborUkraine.com. Since last Monday, we have received over 325 donations totaling over $112,357. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming. To each of you, I will be forever grateful and more importantly, the ...

Brian Wallingford April 5, 2022

For 30 years I have been writing this Weekly Travel Alert and have never asked for your financial help. Today I respectfully ask that you consider my urgent plea below: For the last four weeks, I have been watching the tragedy in Ukraine with horror as millions of Ukrainian people have fled to Poland and are now refugees without ...

Brian Wallingford March 29, 2022

I am writing you today from the desert oasis city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). This beautiful city is filled with very friendly people, many of whom have traveled here from all over the globe to find jobs and work here as the UAE has exploded with growth since oil was found here a ...

Brian Wallingford March 22, 2022

If you thought airfares were high, you ain’t seen nothing yet! The military action in Ukraine is causing fuel prices to go sky-high. Historically the airlines have found that adding a fuel surcharge is an easy way to pass on higher fuel prices. In the coming days, you could see fuel surcharges of $50 to ...

Brian Wallingford March 15, 2022

The federal travel mask mandate is set to expire on March 18. The question now becomes, will it be extended or ended? My bet is that it ends on March 18. This would give the travel industry one big kick to begin the healing process from COVID. Do you like the idea of the travel ...

Brian Wallingford March 8, 2022

The tragedy of the Russian invasion of Ukraine will affect people, countries, businesses, and history. Here are my eight takes on how it will affect the travel industry: 1. Airfares will start climbing this week – Russia supplies much of Europe with energy. The war has caused oil prices and jet fuel prices to skyrocket. This ...

Brian Wallingford March 1, 2022

Alaska Airlines wants you to buy an annual airline pass instead of tickets one-by-one. Their new flight pass tries to capture customers over the long term by offering annual flight credits starting as low as $49 per month (plus taxes) that allows for 6 round trips annually within California, Reno, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. When you add up all ...

Brian Wallingford February 22, 2022

I am writing you this week from Dublin, Ireland. I am here for a short business trip to check out all the hotels and restaurants to see if they have recovered from COVID enough to bring Husker football fans over in August for a game. Despite being shut down for two years things are surprisingly ...

Brian Wallingford February 15, 2022

On my last three flights, I have been hit in the head by people wearing backpacks who turn sideways only to have their backpack slap me upside the head when I am sitting in my aisle seat. I am not asking that backpacks be outlawed on flights but that with every backpack sold, travelers have ...

Brian Wallingford February 8, 2022

Every day countries around the world are opening up their borders and making it much easier for foreign travelers to enter their countries as COVID makes a fast decline and becomes much milder. Many are starting by dropping the testing requirements upon arrival. I think that by Easter we will see the green light for ...

Brian Wallingford February 1, 2022

During the past twenty years over 70% of my predictions have come true. Listed below are my final 10 of 40 predictions for the year. If you missed the first 30 predictions CLICK HERE. #31. Airfares will rise 35% – 50% by Memorial Day – Omicron has caused a fast retreat by travelers for the last 2 ...

Brian Wallingford January 25, 2022

This week I will add predictions 21-30, with my last 2022 travel predictions coming next week. CLICK HERE to read my first 20 predictions. 21. Airlines will charge a $25 COVID convenience fee on all tickets – In 2021 the major airlines were forced to eliminate their $200 change fees because of COVID. This cost them billions of ...

Brian Wallingford January 18, 2022

Brian Wallingford January 11, 2022

During the past twenty years over 70% of my predictions have come true. Over the next four weeks, I will provide you with 40 of my travel industry crystal ball predictions. Here is week 1 of what I think will happen in 2022. Part 2 of 4 will arrive in your inbox next week. Happy ...

Brian Wallingford January 4, 2022

I usually don’t send a weekly travel alert out during the busy week before Christmas but I had to share with you the funniest travel video put together by our team that runs our “Women of the Midwest” travel department. This team has so much fun. Click Here to have a good holiday laugh or two. To ...

Brian Wallingford December 21, 2021

Many people do not realize how much risk they are taking when they book a ticket on a budget airline to fly during the holiday season. The problem with budget airlines is that when they break down or have weather problems no other airlines will back them up and provide their customers with alternate flights. ...

Brian Wallingford December 14, 2021

This weekend, I was able to fly for the first time on the new and infamous Boeing 737 MAX airplane. Despite the black eye it got from the 2 fatal crashes that happened two years ago, this new airplane is smooth as silk and has an amazing amount of overhead storage space, legroom, and headroom. ...

Brian Wallingford December 7, 2021

With Christmas approaching and gifts being bought for loved ones, why not show yourself some love with the best gift of all? I’m talking about free travel, of course. I have reviewed dozens of credit card offerings to bring you the best sign-up bonuses available to help you reach your bucket list destination in 2022. ...

Brian Wallingford November 30, 2021

For the last decade, I have been arguing that the practice of hotels adding hidden fees (resort fees, destination fees, or amenity fees) onto a hotel billing should be illegal. Facing a legal challenge, this week Marriott announced that they have agreed they will alter how they disclose hidden fees and add them into the ...

Brian Wallingford November 23, 2021

Next week promises to be the busiest week of the year for airline travel as everyone heads for grandma’s house for Thanksgiving. This is also a time you will see a lot of families, first-time travelers, a lot of kids and babies, and seniors in the airports. This means that parking lots will be full ...

Brian Wallingford November 16, 2021

The prices of airline tickets are confusing and frustrating to many travelers. My good friend Al Hess wrote a satire over 20 years ago titled “If Airlines sold Paint” that makes a humorous point of the maddening airline rules and pricing. Enjoy! Buying Paint from a hardware store… Customer: Hi. How much is your paint? ...

Brian Wallingford November 9, 2021

Last week I attended the Virtuoso Symposium in Vienna, Austria. At that meeting, they shared with us their research that there is potential to have a giant tsunami of travel reservations from pent-up demand that is 300% higher than normal. This means that if even half of those projections come true that not only will ...

Brian Wallingford November 2, 2021

This is my first international trip in 19 months and I am almost giddy with excitement to see the world again. The pandemic put international travel on hold but now things in the travel world are ready to rock and roll again. Below are a few observations from my trip so far: Delta has a ...

Brian Wallingford October 26, 2021

I hate to tell you this but storm clouds are brewing on November 24 (the day before Thanksgiving) that may make your holiday travel plans very painful. Last week I learned that 40% of TSA agents (the people that operate airport security checks) are not vaccinated and have a deadline of Nov. 24 to get vaccinated or ...

Brian Wallingford October 19, 2021

1. Every kind of ticket is moving touchless (digital) – Many years ago airline tickets moved from paper to digital. Now the rest of the ticketing world has moved digital. Tickets to Broadway shows, tickets for trains, subways, football games, etc. have all moved from paper to a digital format because of COVID. This process was ...

Brian Wallingford October 11, 2021

This past week I flew to Chicago for a convention and decided to take an Uber from O’Hare to the convention center. The fare quoted was $34.75 which I thought was pretty reasonable so I punched the approved button and headed to find my driver. Ten minutes later my friendly driver arrived and I had ...

Brian Wallingford October 5, 2021

Travel around the world will soon be making a strong jump forward in the coming weeks as international travel opens back up in November. The CDC is also showing a weekly decline in COVID hospitalizations and it appears we may have finally reached a point where travel optimism is about to explode with new reservations ...

Brian Wallingford September 28, 2021

This last week I received a colorful email from an airline saying they would provide a 20% discount to transfer my airline frequent flyer miles to a friend. Now here is the fine print: The cost for me to transfer 25,000 miles (enough for a round-trip domestic ticket) is $375 less a 20% discount for ...

Brian Wallingford September 21, 2021

I have been amazed to see the great prices for travel to Europe in October. I almost fell out of my chair this morning checking prices on roundtrip flights in October from Omaha to Vienna ($351); Athens ($314); Rome ($322) and Copenhagen ($351). These prices have been changing rapidly as they sell out fast. Some ...

Brian Wallingford September 14, 2021

Hotels are facing a massive problem of finding workers in our new post-COVID world. Hotel room service was one of the first casualties of the hotel labor shortage. Many hotels don’t have people to cook your food or deliver your food. Food delivery services like Grubhub and Uber Eats are a natural substitute for room ...

Brian Wallingford September 8, 2021

This past Friday word snuck out that the European Union was planning to shut down non-essential travel from Americans. They say they are making this decision based on the idea that the U.S. has slightly more than 75 COVID infections per 10,000 people, a whopping .0075 percent. I think this is more about politics than ...

Brian Wallingford August 31, 2021

This weekend President Biden announced that he was planning to compel six airlines to contribute 18 planes to help with the evacuation of people in Afghanistan. In normal times this might have put a crimp on the airlines who would be short of excess planes, but COVID has slowed international flights and many do not ...

Brian Wallingford August 24, 2021

It is amazing how quickly the flying public has forgotten the problems Boeing’s new 737Max suffered in 2019 with 2 major crashes that killed hundreds of people and grounded the new jetliner until December of 2020. Last year 40% to 70% said they would not fly on the jet. Now it appears like almost no ...

Brian Wallingford August 17, 2021

United, Southwest, and Alaska Airlines all have recently announced discounts as low as $49 – $59 each way for travel after Labor Day. This signals to me that they have gobs of empty seats as the business traveler, who they thought would be jumping on planes this fall, has been postponed once again and family ...

Brian Wallingford August 10, 2021

As you know I travel a lot. During my travels, I stay in a lot of different hotel rooms and I am able to notice a lot of things that are good, bad and ugly about hotels. Every year I update my annual list of top 10 hotel pet peeves. This year I have 12 ...

Brian Wallingford August 2, 2021

I have been amazed to see how high-priced coach airfares are to Europe in 2022. The pandemic and the slow return of the business traveler have resulted in the airlines having a very limited number of flights to Europe so they are naturally trying to maximize revenue from limited demand. Normal airfares to Europe would ...

Brian Wallingford July 27, 2021

Last week Executive Travel launched ETGreen: Trees for Travelers. This program is a massive environmental commitment to plant one million trees, one for every airline ticket issued by our company. The program was launched this month and is designed to help Executive Travel’s customers offset the carbon footprint generated by airline travel. The ETGreen initiative starts with ...

Brian Wallingford July 20, 2021

Hilton hotels recently announced they are eliminating daily housekeeping for guests. They said it is still available but on a request basis. I think this is a giant mistake for the large hotel chain as this is just one more level of poor service. I understand that the pandemic caused the laying off of employees ...

Brian Wallingford July 13, 2021

After 20 years of moving from larger jet airplanes to smaller 50 seat regional jets United Airlines recently announced they are reversing gears and are buying hundreds of new airplanes with a plan to replace those sardine can regional jets with full-sized Boeing 737MAX aircraft. The new airplanes are even more fuel-efficient plus they will hold ...

Brian Wallingford July 7, 2021

Canada has locked down their borders with the U.S. for over a year now because of COVID. Canada has basically killed the Alaska cruise industry for 2021 as most ships depart or stop at Canadian ports of call. Every month they continue to extend their border closure one more month, with the next target date ...

Brian Wallingford June 29, 2021

As you are undoubtedly aware, the travel industry is surging quickly, and some say it will soon hit pre-pandemic levels this year. While that is good news for the travel industry and economy, it also means that travel planning has been completely turned upside down as airline, hotels, and car rental companies scramble to add ...

Brian Wallingford June 22, 2021

Hotel industry reps around the world are sounding the alarm that they are struggling to find enough people to restart their hotels. The pandemic caused many to lay off most of their staff. Now that vacation travelers are back in the saddle traveling again the hotels have plenty of rooms but not enough help to ...

Brian Wallingford June 15, 2021

The airlines are borrowing the age-old buy-now-pay-later marketing used by many retailers over the decades to get you traveling even if you don’t have enough cash or credit limit on your credit card right now. Now many of the budget airlines (Southwest, Frontier, Allegiant) are offering the travel credit programs offered by Fly Now Pay ...

Brian Wallingford June 8, 2021

I was hoping COVID had killed those dastardly hotel resort fees, but I was wrong. It turns out hotels are reimplementing them and also adding new names to them. Last week my good friend, Ron Cole, sent me an email saying he just got back from a trip, and the hotel charged him a “Destination ...

Brian Wallingford June 2, 2021

Many Americans, post-COVID, are traveling closer to home this year. However, seasoned travelers want to fly the coop and find international destinations OPEN for business this summer. With Memorial Day announcing the start of the summer travel season this weekend, I thought it might be interesting to look at where I see excited Americans plan ...

Brian Wallingford May 25, 2021

This last week I had a short trip to Minnesota via Chicago and it was almost like the travel industry depression caused by COVID had never happened. Planes were full. And on one flight there were 25 people listed on the upgrade list. The terminals were full. 30 people were lined up at McDonald’s in ...

Brian Wallingford May 18, 2021

Everyone was excited to hear that travel to England was going to open up to travelers from countries that were on the green list (high vaccination and low COVID rates). Everyone was stunned when England announced that the United States was not on the green list. American businesses are scratching their heads as the vaccination ...

Brian Wallingford May 11, 2021

Many months ago I warned that the return of people traveling would turn on a dime this spring and that you should make your airline travel reservations before Memorial Day to avoid higher airfares. I think the last of the COVID airfare sales were launched in April and what we are about to see is ...

Brian Wallingford May 4, 2021

Over the weekend the European Union (EU) announced they would welcome Americans that are vaccinated for COVID to all 27 member states. The exact date this will begin has not yet been announced, however, the commitment to reopen is a giant boost to the travel industry as well as global business. Many airlines will now ...

Brian Wallingford April 27, 2021

The late Rod Serling produced the surreal TV show in the 1960’s call the “Twilight Zone”. We are about to enter the twilight zone this summer as the airlines start playing a dangerous game with their customers. In efforts to meet the recent surge of reservations, now that people are getting vaccinated, the airlines are ...

Brian Wallingford April 20, 2021

In the last 30 days we have seen domestic travel steadily pick up as COVID vaccinations are now approaching 3 million people a day. Tie this positive news to all the pent-up demand as well as the warming spring weather and you have people not only dreaming of traveling but making reservations as well. People ...

Brian Wallingford April 13, 2021

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) on Friday said it is now a low risk for those who are vaccinated and wear a mask to travel domestically. The shift comes as 100 million Americans are now vaccinated and life is starting to become “normal again”. Even before this announcement, we have seen a dramatic increase ...

Brian Wallingford April 6, 2021

Each year I get a bunch of emails asking for my recommendations for tipping when traveling. One major thing people should realize is that most tipping is based on the culture of the country you are traveling to. For example, the standard restaurant tipping for a waiter is 15% to 20% in the U.S. while ...

Brian Wallingford March 30, 2021

As I have mentioned many times before, most countries require a minimum of 6 months of passport validity for entry into their country. Many business travelers have been in travel hibernation mode for over a year. As the pandemic thaws and businesses restart their travel engines many business travelers will need to renew their passports ...

Brian Wallingford March 23, 2021

Brian Wallingford March 16, 2021

The COVID travel tsunami that hit us one year ago appears to now be on the downhill slide and people are now aggressively making vacation travel reservations once they get the vaccine. If you want to get the best value out of your frequent flyer miles you should use them for international business class seats. ...

Brian Wallingford March 9, 2021

The rental car companies are facing a perfect storm as they try to exit the COVID pandemic. When COVID hit the travel industry a year ago the car rental companies shed cars to generate cash. Now it appears that as the vaccine is accelerating the car rental companies most probably will not be able to ...

Brian Wallingford March 2, 2021

Crystal Cruises last week announced they were going to require all passengers to take the COVID vaccine in order to sail the seven seas with them. This appears to be the first domino to fall as I expect all the cruise lines to require the vaccine for all passengers as a way to eliminate the fear ...

Brian Wallingford February 23, 2021

For the last few years, I have been predicting that the airlines would start charging a $10-$20 fee to use your credit card to purchase an airline ticket. To me, it only made sense as this would raise billions of dollars for the airlines. Well, one of my friends inside the airlines recently shared with ...

Brian Wallingford February 16, 2021

Executive Travel is excited to announce we have just finished building our brand new website and we want to celebrate with you! Take a brief moment to CLICK HERE to review our website, then CLICK HERE to take our 30-second survey, and be entered to win a free domestic airline ticket. Say it isn’t so – CDC says they ...

Brian Wallingford February 9, 2021

On Monday I took my third flight of the year. Things have changed a lot in the last year. Below are my observations. Here are the 10 things that I observed that are different when flying this week – #1 – Expect airports to be half full – Actually, this is very nice as less velocity ...

Brian Wallingford February 2, 2021

Let’s see how many of my 45 travel industry predictions I get right this year. I hope you enjoy reading them. #31 – You will carry two passports when you travel internationally in 2021 and beyond– The first will be your normal passport issued by the federal government. The second will be a digital health passport ...

Brian Wallingford January 26, 2021

I am so excited and I just can’t hide it! (Song by the Pointer sisters) Last week, on January 12 I finally received my new passport back from the State Department after sending it in on September 17. It took almost 4 months. We had 839 readers guess when I would get my passport renewal ...

Brian Wallingford January 19, 2021

During the past eighteen years, 73% of my predictions have come true. Last week I shared with you predictions 1-10. This week I will add predictions 11-20. During the month of January, I will provide you with a total of 40 of my travel industry crystal ball predictions. Here is week 2 of what I ...

Brian Wallingford January 12, 2021

During the past eighteen years, 73% of my predictions have come true! (Please forgive me for not including last year in the calculations as the virus upset everything in the travel world) Over the next four weeks, I will provide you with 40 of my travel industry crystal ball predictions. Here is week 1 of ...

Brian Wallingford January 5, 2021

This is normally one of the busiest weekends of the year for flying, but with COVID, the airports will be about half as busy as normal. Here is my advice if you are brave enough to fly this Christmas weekend and during the coming New Year holiday. #1– If you drive your car to the airport, ...

Brian Wallingford December 22, 2020

Every year I put together a list of up to 70 predictions for the travel industry for the coming year. This year I thought I would give you a sneak peek at four predictions ahead of my normal January release date. Prediction #1 – All-inclusive resorts will expand from the Caribbean and Mexico into the ...

Brian Wallingford December 15, 2020

This is the time of year the airlines will flood your inbox with offers to purchase frequent flyer miles as a great Christmas gift. Generally speaking, the offers that airlines make this time of year to purchase miles are not a good deal. The rule of thumb is that if you pay more than 2 cents ...

Brian Wallingford December 8, 2020

It is amazing the effect of the announcement in November that we are just days away from getting access to at least two COVID vaccines for the travel industry, the stock market, and the world. Most people understand that even with a vaccine, travel will rebound slowly as it will take months for mass distribution. ...

Brian Wallingford December 1, 2020

This week, I have meetings in Rochester, Minnesota, so I drove the 6 hours here when I would normally fly. As you know, every state has different rules concerning what is open and what is not. I am staying at a Fairfield Inn and the breakfast buffet this week is now a grab and go ...

Brian Wallingford November 24, 2020

This fall I have attended several virtual meetings and conventions. Quite frankly, they were a dud. Oh, the sponsors of these virtual conventions said they were smashing hits with great sales and results, but the reality is nothing is as compelling as a live meeting. I miss the interactions with other attendees. That is where I learned ...

Brian Wallingford November 17, 2020

This COVID -19 virus has been a tsunami for the travel industry as millions have been laid off and airlines, hotels, car rental companies, entertainment venues, restaurants, and bars have gone into a depression never seen before in my lifetime. It appears the month of November is seeing, even more, shutdowns across the world to ...

Brian Wallingford November 10, 2020

This is about as exotic as it gets for my travel this year. I have several meetings here, so I decided to drive the six hours rather than jump into an airplane. I think a lot of people have decided to drive to meetings that are in the 400-500 mile range that last year they ...

Brian Wallingford November 3, 2020

One of the few good things to come from this nasty pandemic for travelers willing to travel has been empty middle seats on Southwest, Alaska Air, and Delta Air Lines. Last week we found out that Southwest will no longer block the middle seats on their flights beginning December 1. Delta and Alaska Air are ...

Brian Wallingford October 27, 2020

Travel industry pushing for governments to move from quarantine to testing using a new digital health passport to open up travel – Some of the travel industry heavyweights are pushing a new testing program called CommonPass that they hope governments will use in place of what is a 14-day quarantine requirement today. Testing using CommonPass allows ...

Brian Wallingford October 13, 2020

October – Business travel to the end of the year is a lost cause –Business travel is down over 80% and will stay that way for the rest of the year. Almost all meetings and conventions for the remainder of 2020 have all been cancelled or moved to a virtual format. We do see essential ...

Brian Wallingford October 6, 2020

The pandemic has put hotels in a tailspin and they are dreaming up ways to fill rooms and generate revenue. One of the very few positive things to come out of this COVID mess has been that almost all hotels have suspended charging resort fees. Prior to this year many hotels and resorts charged a ...

Brian Wallingford September 29, 2020

There is so much confusion surrounding the questions of where, when, who, and how people can travel today. We found two maps that can help answer many questions for both the domestic travelers and the international traveler. The first map is provided by United Airlines and is a domestic map of the U.S.A. that shows ...

Brian Wallingford September 22, 2020

This morning I was shocked to see that Delta Air Lines announced they were losing $27 million a day. That means they are losing $810 million a month. Multiply that times 6 months and you see Delta losing almost $5 billion dollars before they swing into the possible uptick of the spring selling season in ...

Brian Wallingford September 15, 2020

Last week United Airlines rocked the travel industry by announcing they were permanently eliminating the $200 change fee they charge for domestic tickets. Within hours Delta, American, and Alaska Airlines joined United in dropping the fees. Basically, the airlines have made the decision to remove any obstacles from people willing to make a reservation and ...

Brian Wallingford September 9, 2020

This is the biggest positive news from the airlines in years. On Sunday, United Airlines shocked the industry when they announced they were permanently eliminating the $200 change fee they charge for domestic tickets. Within 24 hours Delta and American Airlines both joined United in dropping the fees. I hate to say I told you ...

Brian Wallingford September 1, 2020

This last week we had a customer who found an amazing airfare from Florida to Chicago for $36 one-way. The funny thing is that the fee for their luggage was $50. Basically, the cost of sending the bags was more than sending the person. Ironically some airlines’ service is so bad they treat people as ...

Brian Wallingford August 25, 2020

The major airlines of the world seem to be coalescing around the idea of testing international travelers who arrive from certain countries. Those that test negative will not have to quarantine for 14 days. Those that test positive will have to quarantine. I think this will allow many countries around the world to open up ...

Brian Wallingford August 18, 2020

Almost all the major U.S. airlines have received billions of dollars from the government to keep the wheels from falling off during this pandemic. What most people don’t realize is that almost all the regional jet airlines (small 50-100 passenger jets) that fly for the major airlines have received no funding from the government and ...

Brian Wallingford August 11, 2020

If you have a bunch of airline frequent flyer miles, flying after Labor Day is a good time to try to redeem them. United Airlines is adding a bunch of international and domestic flights in September. American, United, and Southwest are all adding domestic flights as well. Before you redeem your frequent flyer miles for ...

Brian Wallingford August 4, 2020

As you know I travel a lot (except for the last 4 months). During my travels, I stay in a lot of different hotel rooms and I am able to notice a lot of things that are good, bad and ugly about hotels. Every year I update my annual list of top 10 hotel pet ...

Brian Wallingford July 27, 2020

A hotel industry trade group recently reported (CLICK HERE) that as many as 8000 hotels may be casualties of COVID-19 as early as September if things don’t get better soon. These will not be just hotels at the bottom end of the quality chain but also 3, 4, and even 5-star hotels that will be turned back to the ...

Brian Wallingford July 21, 2020

Delta and Southwest Airlines are both saying they will block middle seats through the month of September as added protection from COVID-19 for people who fly this summer. Other major airlines like United and American Airlines say that is a publicity stunt as even when middle seats are blocked you are still just inches away ...

Brian Wallingford July 14, 2020

It seems like every state and many big cities are all putting in their own travel restrictions that are causing confusion and frustration for people traveling for business and pleasure. I was looking at an article on USA Today CLICK HERE that shows all the state restrictions and was surprised that even my state of Nebraska has ...

Brian Wallingford July 7, 2020

#1 – Hotel deals – What is bad news for hotels is good news for travelers. Hotels are desperate for business. Many will be fighting for new business by simply lowering their rates. The best hotel deals will come from giant convention hotels that will not be having big meetings or conventions for the foreseeable future. ...

Brian Wallingford June 30, 2020

Airlines are coming out of hibernation in July – The COVID-19 freeze is just about to thaw next month as the airlines start to reinstate hundreds of flights to their schedule both domestically and even internationally. United Airlines is adding 150 domestic (and Canadian) flights in July and dozens of others to Europe and Asia. Business ...

Brian Wallingford June 17, 2020

All the airlines are introducing new health protocols that you are required to complete before you get on an airplane. These new protocols basically (see United’s below) require a traveler to perform a health self-evaluation before you get on a plane. If you fail something as simple as having a cough in the last 14 ...

Brian Wallingford June 17, 2020

Brian Wallingford June 8, 2020

Many people expect planes to be empty when they travel this month. They are most likely going to be greatly disappointed. The airlines are trying to do everything they can to allow for social distancing on flights by blocking middle seats when possible. United will warn you when the flight is over 70% full and ...

Brian Wallingford June 2, 2020

The travel industry came crashing to a stop in April with COVID-19. At the time, I shared that in order to start filling some of the empty seats, the airlines would most likely launch a giant airfare sale. Well, here you go! It looks like the airlines are ready to put the pedal to the ...

Brian Wallingford May 27, 2020

Car rental companies are obviously suffering from the economic tsunami that the virus has brought to the travel industry. The obvious way they deal with the downturn is to not purchase any new vehicles and extend the life of their current inventory. For the car renter, this means that you probably won’t get that fresh ...

Brian Wallingford May 19, 2020

#1 – Everyone is required to wear a face mask – This is no big news for many people as over the last two weeks almost all the airlines said they will require face masks for all crew and passengers. I expect this requirement will be with us at least through the end of the ...

Brian Wallingford May 12, 2020

This past week many airlines announced they are requiring face masks for all staff and passengers who are flying in the future. Many of the airlines said they would make face masks available at the check-in desk or gate. We do not know at this time if they will provide them for free or for ...

Brian Wallingford May 5, 2020

It appears many airlines are considering blocking off using middle seats on flights in the near future as they try to figure out ways for social distancing on airplanes. That will be such a joy to not have to be squeezed into a middle seat at least for a few months. How long they continue ...

Brian Wallingford April 28, 2020

We are about to see a monster airfare sale launched in May. The airlines are just holding their breath for the right time to pull the trigger on a massive airfare sale to get people traveling again once the government lets the chokehold off of the economy. I think in a few weeks the airlines ...

Brian Wallingford April 21, 2020

The COVID-19 virus has caused a lot of people to question how healthy it is to fly in an airplane. The nice thing about airplane travel is that airplanes have state-of-the-art HEPA filters to provide real clean air movement on the airplane. How dirty the seats are is another question. Most airplanes have 30 – ...

Brian Wallingford April 14, 2020

Prediction #1 – I predict the airline $200 change fees will be permanently banned by the government – All the major airlines except Southwest, prior to COVID-19, charged an average of $200 for someone to change a domestic airline ticket once it had been purchased. The virus has forced airlines to cancel thousands of flights and ...

Brian Wallingford April 7, 2020

I think the airlines have done a lot recently to make sure travelers are safeguarded when they fly. However, I think the airlines are going to need to add even more safeguards to give the traveling public the confidence to travel again. After talking to some of our customers and finding out their ideas of ...

Brian Wallingford March 30, 2020

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind for the travel industry. This week Executive Travel was able to launch our “Survive then Thrive” company initiative to help us make sure when the travel industry does come back that we are able to retain our great team so that we can continue our company’s growth ...

Brian Wallingford March 24, 2020

With all the COVID-19 travel cancellations this spring we are seeing that the majority of vacation travel is being moved to this fall. The 30-day travel ban to Europe has put a wrench in travel plans for many Americans. As a result, we are already seeing a wave of travel reservations rescheduled during the months ...

Brian Wallingford March 17, 2020

In two weeks you will see the biggest airfare sale in the last 10 years – Airlines are seeing a massive amount of ticket refunds and lower ticket sales because of the virus panic. They are also smart enough to know that you always get out of the way of a stampede. They will let ...

Brian Wallingford March 10, 2020

For the last month, we have seen the world stampede in response to the Coronavirus outbreak in China. Wallstreet crashed over 10% down last week, airlines cut routes, businesses put international travel on hold, and basically the press started a tornado of worst-case scenarios that would and have frightened many people around the world. Last ...

Brian Wallingford March 3, 2020

Last week United Airlines increased its checked baggage fee by $5 to $35 for the first bag and $45 for a second bag. This increase follows the increase by JetBlue Airways in January. If history repeats itself all the other airlines will soon follow suit. The round trip cost of checking two bags is now ...

Brian Wallingford February 24, 2020

#1. My iPhone camera is my best travel resource – I use my iPhone to take pictures of almost everything when I travel. For example, instead of keeping all those receipts for meals I simply pull out my iPhone and click a picture and send it to the accounting department rather than stick the receipt in my ...

Brian Wallingford February 18, 2020

I am flying home today after spending the last 3 days at Ambiente, one of the world’s largest trade fairs for consumer goods. Frankfurt is not one of my favorite cities in Germany but it has plenty to do and see if you are a business traveler looking for good eats and treats after your ...

Brian Wallingford February 11, 2020

The Coronavirus has basically shut down a large part of the Chinese economy in the last week. Factories all over China are closed, people are not traveling to or within China, and some people in China are just locking their doors and staying home in hopes to not catch the virus. The stock markets around ...

Brian Wallingford February 3, 2020

For the last three weeks, I provided you with 45 of my top predictions. Today I am presenting you with my last 15 predictions for 2020. During the past seventeen years, 73% of my predictions have come true! Here’s the rest of what I think will happen in 2020 part 4/4… To view the previous ...

Brian Wallingford January 27, 2020

For the last two weeks, I provided you with 30 of my top predictions. Today here comes 15 more. During the past seventeen years, 73% of my predictions have come true! Here’s part 3/4 of what I think will happen in 2020. To view the previous predictions, CLICK HERE. #31- Uber prices will double in 2020 ...

Brian Wallingford January 20, 2020

Last week I provided you with 15 of my 60 annual predictions. Today you get 15 more. During the past seventeen years, 73% of my predictions have come true! Here’s more of what I think will happen in 2020 (part 2/4). CLICK HERE to see Steve’s first 15 predictions. #16- Those dastardly hotel resort fees will ...

Brian Wallingford January 13, 2020

During the past seventeen years, 73% of my predictions have come true! (I improved a little this year up from 71% last year) Over the next four weeks, I will provide you with 60 of my travel industry crystal ball predictions. Here is week 1 of what I think will happen in 2020. Part 2 ...

Brian Wallingford January 6, 2020