Zoom Meeting Recording:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/9PJLHZTg82VLE6_96kzbRYMKMNu8aaa8gXVN-PFfmkf9LpuCT1RsfuWSe3IVmC_y

Password: 8o?=d^64

Summary from Meeting:

Where Travelong stands 

Travelong applied for the PPP loan program and were allocated funds to retain our employees for 8 weeks, at the end of which they will determine how much of the loan can be forgiven and how much the company will still owe to the Government.

The company has sufficient funds to comfortably see us through the next three to four months and if there is no additional stimulus the company will take other steps to ensure we are still in business when this situation reaches a satisfactory conclusion.

Unfortunately we do not see any drastic reversal of the current situation. More likely travel will resume at a slower pace than we would like, but resume it will and we need to be prepared to ensure that our customers receive the service they expect and deserve.

 Some new projections

There are some drugs that bring comfort, not a cure, to those afflicted with the virus. The Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, which is administered to infants in many developing countries to prevent Tuberculosis, is expected to assist individuals in developing immune responses.

Ideas from another organization 

A company which has about 900 people working for them, most of them Independent Consultants, recommended that every Independent Contractor form an LLC for their business to protect themselves legally.

One of their independent travel advisors received PPP funds and disclosed that when the PPP expires on June 30, 2020, she will apply for unemployment insurance. You can apply for either (or both) but can only accept funds from one of the programs.

What we need to continue doing – Never stop marketing.

Contact your customers regularly, update them with all the changes that have taken place and provide them with all the options regarding cancellations including refunds and postponements.

Since the crisis has pretty much shut everything down you should take advantage of the time you have to learn new skills, such as zoom meetings with customers. Use Zoom and send your customers videos to satisfy their travel curiosities. In the future Travel Advisors will be needed more than ever, so use Instagram and Facebook to keep interest peaked – ASK FOR REFERRALS!!

DELTA AIRLINES;

Delta Air Lines is extending its change fee waiver for all bookings through June 2020.

Delta flyers with upcoming travel already booked in April, May or June 2020, and those with existing eCredits or canceled travel from flights during that same period, can now rebook for new flights up until May 31, 2022 without penalty, as long as the booking was made as of April 14.

Delta also, according to reports, has promised to cap fares for flights throughout Canada and the U.S. for all cabins through the end of May.

Earlier, Delta announced that it has put into place certain social distancing measures in order to keep its flyers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Delta said it will be blocking the use of middle seats in Main Cabin, Delta Comfort+ and Delta Premium Select across all flights, reducing the number of customers on each flight and allowing gate agents to determine the best seating arrangements for customers considering social distancing and aircraft weight-and-balance restrictions.

These temporary changes are scheduled to take place from April 13 through May 31.

UNITED AIRLINES

You do not need to do anything additional to the qualifying ticket or PNR (if one exists). Qualifying tickets remain active in our systems. ARC, BSP, and each GDS will recognize the extended validity for tickets issued May 1, 2019 – March 31, 2020, making the tickets accessible for you.

GDSs can interact with United’s version of the eTicket using messaging as they do today.

• The GDSs allow agencies to retrieve a ticket by ticket number without a live PNR.
• The eTicket can be retrieved via the GDS as long as the ticket is in United’s system.
• Customers may reschedule their wholly unused ticket to a different date or city pair, and then the ticket needs to be reissued. It’s important to note that when rescheduling travel, you’ll need to look at the fare rules to determine if travel dates are governed by when travel is completed, or when travel begins. In either case, where the fare rules show 12-month validity, you’ll now have 24 months.

  The new ticket will be subject to new fare rules and any applicable add-collect. If the original ticket qualifies for a travel waiver, the waiver parameters will be applied if they are met at the time of exchange. Customers who cancel within the travel waiver parameters can retain the value of the ticket to exchange later with no penalty fee. 

   

  AMERICAN:

  Travel flexibility and peace of mind

  To provide you with more flexibility and control we have waived change fees for certain dates of travel.

  If you:

  • Bought your ticket before May 31, 2020, for travel between March 1 and September 30, 2020, you can rebook without change fees*.
  • Buy a new trip March 1 – May 31, 2020, for all future travel, you can also change it a later date without change fees.

  Plus, if you have a ticket that is expiring between March 1 and September 30, 2020, the value of your unused ticket can be used for travel through
  December 31, 2021.

  You may owe any difference in ticket price.

  Face coverings

  We strongly encourage you to wear a face covering while flying on American, and starting May 11, it will be required. You also may be required by local law to wear one in the airport where your trip begins, where it ends or where you connect. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for recommendations on face coverings.

  At the airport

  Curbside check-in / ticket counters

  Curbside check-in may not be available. Be sure to check your flight status before you go to the airport, as ticket counter hours may change daily without notice