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U.S. Travel Agency Air Ticket Sales Top $8 Billion in June

sales

U.S. Travel Agency Air Ticket Sales Top $8 Billion in June

Air Travel Sales and Passenger Trips Grew Steadily in the First Half of 2023.

Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) today released data showing June 2023 U.S. travel agency air ticket sales increased 2% year over year to $8.1 billion.

Total sales for the first six months of 2023 were 27% higher than the first six months of 2022 and down 0.3% compared to 2019. Total passenger trips were up 11% over the same period compared to 2022 and down 12% compared to 2019.

International travel saw the biggest improvement from January to June 2023, with the total number of international trips settled through ARC increasing 22% year over year compared to a 5% growth in domestic trips.

Results for June 2023 showed:

ARC Ticketing Metric Total Month-Over-Month Variance Year-Over-Year Variance
Total sales $8,098,227,889 -10% +2%
Total passenger trips 22,276,370 -8% +3%
U.S. domestic trips 13,620,896 -8% -1%
International trips 8,655,474 -7% +10%
Average ticket price $555 -1% -8%

June marked the third month in a row that the average price of a U.S. round-trip ticket was below year-over-year levels.

Ancillary sales increased 79% year over year to $24,555,898. Ancillary transactions increased 62% to 377,122 over the same period.

More detailed information is available on ARC’s sales statistics page.

airlines

The Blame Game: When Will Commercial Airlines get their Act Together? 

Rena Davenport, CEO of Exquisite Air Charter, discusses different angles on the price that customers are paying for the mishandling of commercial airlines, and, in contrast, how business aviation’s standards separate from this reality.

Commercial aviation inefficiency is the new normal. There, I said it. While you can make the case that the daily mishandling of the travel experience by global carriers dates back a decade or so, I’ll play nice and provide some domino-effect facts that started to loom in mid-2022, when the travel recovery after the pandemic and opening borders evidenced the sheer lack of preparedness of the entire industry.

During the initial stages of the pandemic, airlines had that unprecedented moment to blame for the mounting cancellations, lack of information, and dreadful customer support. To be fair, health authorities and governments weren’t as clear as we would’ve wanted, as they also were trying to make sense of the situation. 

Fast forward a little over two years, the summer of 2022, and the crowded airports and cancellations worldwide once the travel recovery picked up made me think about the golden opportunity airlines had to reset their operations and inefficiencies when no one was traveling during the pandemic. 

Different challenges were at the root cause of the problem, yet airlines found a way to frame the situation and shift the blame. Unable to meet the rising demand in bookings during that summer season, they blamed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for delays, while the FAA said airlines were flying schedules they couldn’t support. Pilots, on the other hand, pointed fingers at airlines for increased workloads they stated could result in safety issues. 

The inability to support flying schedules is an interesting claim because it goes well beyond the pilot shortage debate, which is also an underlying issue today – flight attendants, ground handlers, and baggage handlers are also scarce at airports, with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) reporting that airlines have lost or mishandled 21% more bags than in previous years.

The blame game

Is there a solution? Senator Bernie Sanders thinks that the DOT should start fining airlines for disrupted flights, while the DOT is considering imposing financial consequences on airlines publishing unrealistic flight schedules. Rules and regulations might force airlines to show they can operate flights with the proper staff before being allowed to schedule them, which might be a mid-term solution.  

At this pace, regular commercial travelers might find it more convenient to drive to closer destinations by car, even if the ride lasts up to 5 hours – that sounds much better than waiting hours in check-in lines and potentially having the flight canceled.

While it might be too late to get their act together before the end of winter, as the recent Southwest debacle showed, the industry will need to find ways to tighten up its operations before the start of summer; eliminating the blaming game while searching for common ground and attainable solutions should be a priority between both private and public actors. 

What is the 2023 outlook? According to a recent IATA forecast, travel recovery hints at reduced losses and expects profit this year, with airlines projected to post a small net profit of $4.7 billion –a 0.6% net profit margin. It’s the first profit since 2019. That’s great, but at what cost? Apparently, for now, at the passenger’s expense. 

Business aviation thrived under the spotlight

In contrast, business aviation demonstrated to the world that it was prepared to deliver quality service throughout the pandemic, operating repatriation flights, humanitarian missions, and urgent medical flights. It maximized its time in the spotlight when all commercial airlines were grounded, to the point that the industry is perceived differently today. How do I know? Well, we constantly engage with our customers and especially with first-time flyers that fled from the airline’s grasp. 

For them the industry works as a time machine, a consistent tool that enables them to control the travel experience, reducing uncertainties while spending more time with the family – “there’s no going back once you try private”, I was recently told. And I fully agree. This is not to say that we didn’t have challenges of our own – like availability issues due to increased demand and a lag in new business aircraft entering the market. The big difference is that we didn’t make an excuse and tried to find safe solutions to deliver a consistent service.

A shift in consumer behavior has occurred and every experienced and trustworthy business aircraft provider has recognized this change while trying to reduce any gaps within customer expectations and service. That’s where the business aviation industry thrives, putting the passenger ahead of everything and adapting to their needs like no other service. That’s our most precious asset and everyone involved in this fascinating industry needs to always put the interest of the customer above, always following safety protocols and standards and in tight coordination with authorities.

In conclusion, airlines had a golden opportunity to reorganize their operations and inefficiencies that were ever-present before Covid-19, and yet here we are again. If a pandemic can’t force airlines to get their act together, what on earth will?

 

turkish cargo

Turkish Cargo Partners with CargoAi to Expand its Digital Offering Worldwide

Turkish Airlines’ air cargo brand, Turkish Cargo, is now live on CargoAi’s marketplace solution (CargoMART), for users in 4 countries. In the pilot phase, CargoMART users in France, Spain, Netherlands and Singapore will have access to booking Turkish Cargo’s new services TK SMART (general cargo service), TK PREMIUM and TK URGENT (express cargo service) instantaneously on all Turkish Cargo routes.

In keeping with its philosophy to provide full visibility to its users for informed and actionable business decisions, CargoAi’s integration with Turkish Cargo is unique in that it displays non-bookable options to its users. Where other platforms filter out such options, forwarders on CargoMART are instantly in the know and can quickly make an offline booking (via call for example) for such shipments.

Users of CargoMART benefit from searching for real-time schedules, bulk quoting, e-booking, the ability to track and trace each shipment, as well CargoAi’s Cargo2ZERO sustainable features to support the air cargo industry’s decarbonization mission.

Following the successful pilot launch, Turkish Cargo will expand its offering on CargoAi worldwide. The worldwide rollout will allow the full visibility and booking of all its routes to more than 6,000 freight forwarders across 63 countries who regularly use CargoAi’s marketplace, CargoMART.

Challenge Airlines say Merhaba, Istanbul!

Challenge Airlines say Merhaba, Istanbul!

Challenge Group starts the new year as it means to go on, with an historic, inaugural Challenge Airlines flight out of Istanbul, Türkiye on 25 January 2023. The freighter will carry a mix of Türkiye’s main export products: garments, fabrics, and automotive parts, all from key international customers.

This event signifies the start of Challenge Airlines’ first scheduled operations out of Istanbul Airport, linking Türkiye to Liège in Belgium, and from there to destinations across Europe, as well as to the U.S. and Far East. From the end of this month onwards, Challenge Airlines will operate two Boeing 747F flights per week – on Days 3 and 7 – totaling a joint capacity uplift offer of 240 tons.

And since the World Cargo Symposium will also be taking place in Istanbul, on 25-27 April this year, attendees can pencil a reminder in their diaries to meet Challenge Group. The teams look forward to answering any questions you may have and discussing potential network requirements in person. Challenge Group is always open to growing and exploring new markets to enhance the value proposition offered to its customers.

About Challenge Group

Challenge Group is a unique, international air cargo conglomeration offering tailored air freight industry solutions from handling, air and ground logistics, to aviation services, for a wide range of industries and commodities.

Challenge Group employs 850 people across three airlines (Challenge Airlines IL in Israel, Challenge Airlines BE in Belgium, Challenge Airlines MT in Malta),  a commercial division (Challenge Air Cargo) in Malta, a ground handling company (Challenge Handling in Liege, Belgium), a European road feeder provider (Challenge Logistics in Liege, Belgium), an aircraft and parts leasing division (Challenge Aviation), and a comprehensive line maintenance provider (Challenge Technic). The company has trebled its capacity over the past four years and now handles 300,000+ tons of cargo per year.

Silk Way West Airlines safely transports 100 yaks from Kyrgyzstan to Azerbaijan

Silk Way West Airlines Safely Transports 100 Yaks from Kyrgyzstan to Azerbaijan

As part of a wildlife reintroduction project, Silk Way West Airlines flew 100 yaks over more than 2,000 kilometers from Kyrgyzstan to Azerbaijan. The cargo experts transported the herd from Bishkek Manas International Airport to Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport. Moving these animals was a challenge that the freight airline successfully completed in accordance with the request of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Thanks to the airline’s crew and loadmasters’ long experience with animals’ transportation, the yaks all were delivered safely to their destination, and were subsequently transported to their new pastures by truck from the airport.

Silk Way West Airlines has successfully handled numerous live animal shipments in the past, in accordance with all IATA regulations. The carrier’s extensive experience includes transportation of alpacas, kangaroos, dogs, horses and European bison.

Silk Way West Airlines aircraft provide their animal passengers with a perfectly air-conditioned and ventilated environment thanks to ventilation and temperature control systems. The yaks were transported in special cages designed to ensure that they were not exposed to any risk of injury during the flight and remained under veterinary supervision throughout their journey to ensure their wellbeing..

About Silk Way West Airlines

Founded in 2012 in Baku, at the heart of the Silk Road, Silk Way West Airlines operates hundreds of monthly flights across the globe via its fleet of 12 dedicated Boeing 747-8F and 747-400F aircraft based at Heydar Aliyev International Airport. On April 28, 2021, Silk Way West Airlines signed a strategic fleet expansion agreement with Boeing for the purchase of five new 777 Freighters, followed by a further agreement signed on November 10, 2022 for the purchase of two state-of-the-art 777-8 Freighters. Silk Way West Airlines also agreed the purchase of two A350 Freighters with Airbus on June 28, 2022.

The airline’s annual cargo turnover exceeds 500,000 tons, while its growing route network covers over 40 destinations across Europe, the CIS, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Asia, and the Americas.

Saudia Cargo Expands Partnership with Cargo.one Following Thousands of New Digital Sales

Saudia Cargo Expands Partnership with Cargo.one Following Thousands of New Digital Sales

Saudia Cargo and cargo.one today announced an expansion of their partnership to bring more of the airline’s capacity on board the leading marketplace for digital air cargo bookings. The growth builds upon a more than 1.5 year collaboration in which cargo.one delivered Saudia Cargo’s first external digital sales channel and greatly enhanced both its market reach and quality of service to freight forwarders. cargo.one and Saudia teams will double down on initiatives to derive maximum value from the airline’s digital distribution.

Based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Cargo offers impressive global reach and is working hard to support the kingdom to become a global hub for connections between Africa, Asia, North America and Europe. The airline is contributing to Saudi Arabia’s expansion of the air cargo sector to offer more than 4.5 million tonnes per year by the end of the decade.

Saudia Cargo is continuing to expand digital access to its air cargo capacity. Since Summer 2021, cargo.one has delivered customer-centric strategic digital sales, and helped Saudia Cargo to expand its global footprint and strengthen its position in the market. To date, freight forwarders using cargo.one have booked thousands of shipments across Saudia’s global network on its dedicated freighter and passenger fleets. Over 50% of bookings were to destinations outside Saudi Arabia, supporting the airline to grow in new markets and customer segments.

Saudia Cargo will continue to add new capacity to cargo.one from additional countries to new products and destinations. The airline’s teams will continue working with cargo.one to develop and apply digital best practices to enhance customer experiences and maximize operational efficiencies. cargo.one enables the delivery of superior, data-driven buying journeys while reducing the administrative burden on airlines.

Saudia Cargo is intensifying efforts at an opportune time in the trajectory of digitalization in the air cargo industry. cargo.one’s recent Digital Sales Trajectory Report revealed that across airlines surveyed, on average the share of bookings via digital channels is expected to rise from 20% in 2021 to almost 60% by 2025.

Airlines like Saudia Cargo that prioritize customer needs and digital transformation continue to build a competitive advantage in the eyes of the customer . With innovations like cargo.one360, its real-time data insights tool, cargo.one helps airlines to accelerate learning cycles and build the organizational capability necessary for digital sales success.

About Saudia Cargo

Saudia Cargo is contributing to the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia’s Vision 2030 by developing a leading logistic hub and leveraging the country’s strategic location. For more than seven decades, Saudia Cargo has been one of the world’s most dynamic cargo carriers, connecting 900 destinations in 175 countries through its alliance with Sky Team Cargo, the world’s largest group of air cargo airlines. The company’s fleet of modern Boeing freighters and state-of-the-art facilities facilitate the transport of all types of cargo, from high-value shipments, dangerous goods, and perishables to pharmaceuticals and sensitive vaccines. For more information, please visit saudiacargo.com.

About cargo.one

Founded in 2017, cargo.one (Cargo One GmbH) is a platform for booking and marketing air freight capacity. Used in 3800+ freight forwarding branches, cargo.one focuses on offering instantly bookable quotes across dozens of airlines, and was the first booking platform of its kind. Accredited freight forwarders can search, compare and book in real-time and receive an immediate booking confirmation. Operating as a virtual-first company, the cargo.one team combines international business experience, expertise in B2B technology transformations, and air cargo market knowledge.

cargo.one has partnered with dozens of global airlines such as Lufthansa, IAG Cargo, Singapore Airlines Cargo, Air Canada, LATAM, TAP Air Portugal, Finnair, Etihad, All Nippon Airways, JALCARGO, Nippon Cargo Airlines, Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, Turkish Cargo and Qatar Airways Cargo, while serving a fast-growing user base of thousands of freight forwarding companies, including leading players such as Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Agility Logistics, DACHSER and Flexport. The company won the award for ‘Information Technology for the air cargo industry’ in World Air Cargo Awards 2022 and 2021, the ‘Innovative Logistics Solutions in Air Cargo’ Award 2022, at the International Awards for Excellence in Air Cargo, ‘Air Business of the Year’ at the UK Logistics Awards 2022, and an Air Cargo News award in 2020.

cargo.one has raised over $65M in funding to date from internationally prominent investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, Index Ventures, Creandum, Next 47, Point Nine Capital and Lufthansa Cargo

air silk

Silk Way West Airlines Invests in New Boeing 777-8 Freighters

Silk Way West Airlines shows no sign of slowing down its impressive record of growth, having secured a deal to offer even more cargo capacity in the future. The Azerbaijani cargo carrier signed an order with Boeing for two state-of-the-art 777-8 Freighters with options for two additional aircraft, the two companies announced today at the agreement signing ceremony in Everett, Washington. Per the agreement, aircraft deliveries are planned for 2029 and 2030.

Silk Way West Airlines is the first customer in the whole Central Asia region to order the industry’s newest, most capable and fuel-efficient twin-engine freighter. The aircraft can carry over 118 tons of structural payload with a range of over 9,200 km. With its advanced technology, new GE9X engines and composite wing design, the 777-8 offers 30 per cent greater fuel efficiency and emission levels as well as 25 per cent lower operating costs per ton. As a result, the new aircraft will also make an important contribution to the airline’s sustainability goals.

This investment will not only enable Silk Way West Airlines, which serves 40 destinations around the world, to further expand its international network and meet growing demand for cargo transport, but will also strengthen Baku as a key international cargo hub. The Azerbaijani capital has become increasingly important for the Middle Corridor linking Europe and the Western Hemisphere to Asia through the Caspian region.

Back in April 2021, the cargo airline signed a purchase agreement for five Boeing 777s, setting the course for further fleet growth. Now, the new 777-8 aircraft complement SWWA’s fleet development plans by enabling the necessary operational commonality, enhancing a long-term strategy of sustainable growth as well as allowing the Azerbaijani carrier to continuously improve service to its customers.

About Silk Way West Airlines

Founded in 2012 in Baku, at the heart of the Silk Road, Silk Way West Airlines operates hundreds of monthly flights across the globe via its fleet of 12 dedicated Boeing 747-8F and 747-400F aircraft based at Heydar Aliyev International Airport. On April 28, 2021, Silk Way West Airlines signed a strategic fleet expansion agreement with Boeing for the purchase of five state-of-the-art 777 Freighters. The airline’s annual cargo turnover exceeds 500,000 tons, while its growing route network covers over 40 destinations across Europe, the CIS, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Asia, and the Americas. South Korea’s Incheon Airport honored Silk Way West Airlines with the prestigious ‘Cargo Airline of the Year 2020’ award.

About Boeing

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future and living the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity.

travel

The Role of a COVID-19 Vaccine in the Travel Industry

Hope got rekindled in the heart of individuals, organizations, and nations following the news of producing a potent vaccine that could help end the COVID-19 menace. There has been a recorded increase in the travel industry’s activities with the renewed energy in people to resume travels.

Nations that earn primarily from the participation of foreigners in business, investment, tourism, and so on are hopeful that they can restore their economy and improve their citizens’ living standards when the virus’s vaccine is in use.

As we are expectant of the proper circulation of a vaccine, we should take a moment to analyze the changes the pandemic outbreak has made in our lifestyle, particularly traveling habits.

Ways in Which the Pandemic Outbreak Positively Affected Travels

As much as COVID-19 has presented us with significant challenges, the pandemic outbreak did not leave us without some blessings. In response to the deadly virus, several changes got incorporated, which has improved traveling for good.

The continuation of these changes despite the vaccine’s availability will do both the travel industry and passengers a great deal of good. These changes and policies adopted include the following:

Flexibility

Airlines became a lot more flexible with their payment and refund policies since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Various airlines offered a full refund of fares for booked or paid flights to countries with travel bans. Several airlines employed different means to make payment a lot more comfortable for their passengers.

Maintaining flexibility, regardless of the vaccine, could change travel for good. Not to be too hopeful, these airlines might withdraw some of these leniencies, but many would remain.

Traveler’s Behavior

Travelers now prepare adequately for travels. It makes it a lot easier for airlines to control boarding. People are more careful about their health and, as such, are more responsive to regulations. This habit has been a good chance for travels since the onset of the pandemic.

Health and Safety Protocols

The airline now prioritizes safety and health protocols. Airplanes are now well cleaned and sanitized to ensure a virus-free environment.

One would also notice a very high degree of orderliness at the airport due to the social distancing protocol. People do not have to crowd themselves in the queue, making traveling a lot more stress-free for passengers.

Expected Positive Impacts of the COVID-19 Vaccine

With a proper circulation of the vaccine, where everyone can have access to vaccination at an affordable price, travel will experience a significant change for good. Considering how much influence the pandemic outbreak had on our traveling habit, we expect to record the following changes:

Improved Travel Experience

With the release of the COVID-19 vaccine, traveling will be a lot easier. Several boarding protocols that stress out travelers, like getting tested for COVID-19, maintain social distancing at the boarding gate, arriving at the airport many hours before take-off time, may be relaxed. We can finally return to a more comfortable process with the provision of the vaccine.

Cheaper Fares for Travelers

With the vaccine, airlines can allow more passengers on board a flight. It will help reduce flight fares as more people can share the burden of transportation cost per trip. A lesser fee will make transportation more affordable, and people can plan for more trips than before.

Assurance of Safety

The major discouragement with travels was the fear of safety. Several travelers canceled their trips except when it was inevitable. The vaccine would mean that people can now tour the world without fear of contracting the coronavirus disease. They also do not stand as a threat to others’ safety while visiting new places, so long as they have the necessary vaccination.

Reduced Cost on Maintenance of Health

People now have to spend less on maintaining their health with the vaccine. Airlines can also reduce the cost of ensuring a highly hygienic travel environment by the COVID -19 standard. Several regular travelers had to forfeit planned trips because they cannot afford the potential cost of maintaining their health condition if they probably got down with the virus. With this out of the way, traveling will become much more feasible.

Even with the hope of a new vaccine, we have to ensure that we plan adequately for safety ahead of a trip. It would be best if you had all you will need while in another geographical location. You must get an international driver’s license in the likelihood that you will have to drive yourself around while on your trip.

Significant changes have begun already, with the news of the vaccine around the corner. We all cannot wait to experience our world once again, without the fear of a pandemic.

EXECUTIVE DESTINATION: CALIFORNIA

California is a big state, one of the biggest, actually, with its 163,696 square miles making it the third largest in the United States in terms of area and its 39.5 million residents making it the most populous in America.

When it comes to travel to or within the Golden State on business, there is no single destination that is a central location to the hubs of industry, unless that industry is agriculture, in which case just about anywhere in the Central Valley should work just fine. Direct flights there on major airlines could be an issue, however.

Otherwise, you would not fly into, say, Los Angeles International Airport—the world’s fifth busiest and second only to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta in the U.S.—if your business meetings were in Silicon Valley. Nor would you stay in, for instance, San Francisco—whose $878 billion GDP gave it America’s third largest urban economy in 2017—if your trade convention was in sunny San Diego.

Getting There

For our business travel purposes, we are going to focus on San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose (which is in the heart of Silicon Valley) and San Francisco.

The international airports in all four of those cities are served by Air Canada, Alaska, American, British Airways, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, United and Virgin. Allegiant, Condor, Japan Airlines, Spirit and Sun Country fly in and out of all except San Jose.

Chances are that American and United are airlines that use your nearest airport for flying across the continent. Both figured prominently in the 15th annual Tested Reader Survey in December’s Global Traveler. More than 22,000 frequent business and luxury travelers named the best in a variety of travel-related categories.

American was named the Best Airline in North America and, for the third consecutive year, the Best Airline for Domestic First Class. American Airlines AAdvantage was deemed the Best Frequent-Flyer Customer Service.

United Airlines MileagePlus was deemed the Best Overall Frequent-Flyer Program for the 15th straight year and Best Frequent-Flyer Bonus Program for the sixth consecutive year.

The airline also just announced that its new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners will fly United “Premium” transcontinental routes between Newark and California beginning Jan. 7. The newest and biggest version of Boeing’s 787 widebody, the jets will also start flying from Newark to San Francisco on Feb. 14.

Seating 318 passengers, the 787-10s include 44 lie-flat business-class seats and 21 of United’s new “Premium Plus” recliner seats that split the difference between business-class and typical coach seating. Also onboard are 54 extra-legroom Premium Economy seats and 199 in standard coach.

Staying There

U.S. News & World Report identified the top business hotels of 2018 in large American cities by considering amenities, reputation among professional travel experts, guest reviews and hotel class ratings.

What follows is a rundown of each of our target California cities, with the nightly rates being what was quoted on Dec. 10, 2018 (meaning current prices may vary).

LOS ANGELES

-The Peninsula Beverly Hills

Stars: 5

Critic rating: Excellent

Nightly rate: $605

Amenities: Business center with a few computers, color printers, executive desks and a fax machine. Six meeting spaces accommodate events of up to 250 people.

-Montage Beverly Hills

Stars: 5

Critic rating: Excellent

Nightly rate: $545

Amenities: 24-hour business center. On-site meeting planners. Variety of rooms, including ballrooms, are configurable to all types and sizes of events.

-The London West Hollywood

Stars: 5

Critic rating: Great

Nightly rate: $339

Amenities: Meeting and event coordinators. Media equipment to facilitate audiovisual presentations. 24-hour business center. Access to printers, personal computers and an ATM.

SAN DIEGO

-Hotel del Coronado (Coronado Island)

Stars: 4

Critic rating: Excellent

Nightly rate: $268

Amenities: 47 indoor event venues ranging in size from 300 to 12,500 square feet. Event planners. Full-service FedEx Center with computer workstations with Internet access, fax and copy service, shipping and postal services and more.

-La Valencia Hotel and Spa (La Jolla)

Stars: 4

Critic rating: Great

Nightly rate: $299

Amenities: Four meeting rooms, including a ballroom with a terrace, a boardroom and The Galeria, which can hold up to 40 participants. The Med and Patio Sol can also be booked for many types of meetings.

-Omni San Diego Hotel (Downtown)

Stars: 4

Critic rating: Great

Nightly rate: $144

Amenities: Space for up to 1,200 people. 27,000 square feet of meeting space. Grand Ballroom measures 9,266 square feet.

SAN FRANCISCO

-The Ritz-Carlton

Stars: 5

Critic rating: Excellent

Nightly rate: $359

Amenities: 18 event rooms. Up to 500 attendees can enjoy the ballroom, which can also be divided into four smaller spaces. On-staff event planners.

-The St. Regis

Stars: 5

Critic rating: Great

Nightly rate: $356

Amenities: 22,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. Board meetings or business receptions for up to 600 attendees can be handled.

-Fairmont

Stars: 5

Critic rating: Great

Nightly rate: $195

Amenities: 72,000 square feet and dozens of meeting rooms. Event of any kind for up to 2,300 people can be handled. Sustainable meeting options.

SILICON VALLEY

No U.S. News & World Report data was available for the region, so we turned to Oyster.com (“The Hotel Tell-All”), which boasts of knowing “what business travelers look for in hotels.” Instead of relying on guests and professionals, Oyster reviews properties around the world in person.

-Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto

Stars: 5

Nightly rate: $469

Amenities: 24-hour business center with secretarial services, translation and interpretation services and well-equipped meeting rooms.

-Rosewood San Hill (Menlo Park)

Stars: 5

Critic rating: NA

Nightly rate: $485

Amenities: Rooms have large work desks with several power outlets and comfortable seating. Nearly 17,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space with high-tech amenities and private dining rooms.

-Aloft Silicon Valley (Newark)

Stars: 4

Critic rating: NA

Nightly rate: $134

Amenities: Comfortable work desks. Quiet area, which is a 20-minute drive away from Palo Alto, the W hotel boasts “a mellow vibe perfect for unwinding after a day of work.”

 

SOURCING THE BEST CARRIER/AIRPORT CONNECTIONS

Sourcing the best airport connection can be tough when big-name companies such as Amazon Air continue to announce expansions to create and delegate more space for operations. As a prime example, Amazon Air is aggressively taking over regions in the Midwest and South through increased fulfillment centers and expanding air cargo capabilities.

Back in December, Amazon Air confirmed the expansion investment of the Chicago Rockford Airport region by 120,000 square feet to make room for an additional eight-plus planes. The quickly growing logistics network Amazon prides itself in is provided with all the tools needed to continue leveraging growth momentum. Additionally, the company is not afraid to call out the need for the potential threat the expansion poses to competitors UPS and FedEx by adding that such competitive disruption is necessary.

Additionally, Amazon announced plans to expand its network in the Lone Star State at the Lonestar Dallas Air Hub, projecting “to handle multiple flights daily” that “will be tailored specifically to Amazon Air’s larger-scale regional needs.” A Morgan Stanley report estimates that “Amazon’s volumes moving onto Amazon Air are costing UPS/FDX Air roughly 200-300 bps of volume growth.”

Consider the substantial air-cargo growth reported for Budapest Airport. Most recently, the Central European hub confirmed record rates of double-digit growth for three years straight. It seems every time Budapest Airport makes the news, it’s to report on higher growth rates from before.

“These latest figures are exciting as they represent three years of uninterrupted double-digit growth at the airport,” says René Droese, Budapest Airport’s director of Property and Cargo. “We are focusing all our efforts to make good use of the ideal conditions in Budapest and turn Liszt Ferenc International Airport into a major cargo logistics hub for the Central-Eastern European region. For this, we are establishing appropriate technical, security and traffic conditions; the relevant projects entered the phase of implementation last year, and we can successfully complete them this year. As a first step we handed over a 16,000 m2 new cargo warehouse and office capacity for our integrator partners in 2017; their traffic has been constantly developing for years.”

To continue these significant growth rates for 2019, the airport is preparing a new cargo apron to house and simultaneously operate two Boeing B-747-8F freighters.

“The combined value of this development effort in 2019 reaches EUR46 million and is financed by Budapest Airport itself,” Droese notes. “Our goal is to deliver, by the end of this year, an ideal cargo infrastructure for all segments of our well-balanced customer portfolio, for full freighters, belly cargo, integrators and roader feeder trucking, too.”

The common denominator is proactive efforts to leverage and increase the momentum before it’s too late. Key considerations include regional advantages, current and potential partnerships, operational efficiencies and even integrating technology solutions that streamline communications and transports.

“Rising demand is illustrated by the fact that last year a number of widebody and jumbo freighters were being loaded at the airport each day, including Boeing B-747s operated by Cargolux, AirBridgeCargo and Silk Way West, and Airbus A300s, A310s, A330s used by Turkish Cargo and Qatar Airways Cargo,” Droese says.

Many might recall the June 2018 Air Cargo Advance Screening Program mandating foreign shipments to be subject to providing a laundry list of pre-arrival cargo data when the U.S. is the final destination, per measures from the Department of Homeland Security. Strict screenings such as these have been implemented globally, as recently reported for Dubai Customs, which prides itself on significant progress in performance due to the advanced infrastructure as well as supportive government policies assisting in facilitating global trade efforts. The success is also paired with a proactive approach involving careful evaluation and research of trade trends.

Director of Dubai Customs, Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, explains: “We have an integrated strategy in place to develop the external trade performance further following the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai, and along with the guidelines of Dubai Plan 2021 and the UAE Centennial 2071. We are watching closely the changes taking place in the international trade and we will turn challenges into opportunities by entering new markets and expanding our existing ones.”

More recently, however, Dubai Customs reported several cases where significant smuggling attempts were stopped because of the diligence and seamless communication strategies in place. One report identified 922 successfully prevented smuggling attempts, of which 38.5 percent were drug contrabands. Even more interesting is the time-frame the attempts occurred: between January and September of 2018.

“Thanks to our inspectors’ vigilance, we are closely in full control of all checkpoints,” explains Ibrahim Al Kamali, Dubai Customs’ director of Passenger Operations. “Our inspection officers receive the best training on body language and different types of drugs, and how to distinguish fake brands from genuine ones.”

“There are challenges facing customs authorities in countries that have strategic locations,” Musabih points out. “Dubai is not an exception. It’s strategically located between East and West, and it has spent billions of dirhams to develop its infrastructure, ports and airports.

“The Emirate has also provided an unprecedented host of services and products, including the iDeclare application which significantly reduces passengers’ time needed to declare different belongings. These advanced services will facilitate passengers’ entry into the country.”

From security and trust to reliability and competition, sourcing the best carrier and airport connection needs to align with customer needs, the types of products being transported, and compliance efforts for the region. Just because an airline is associated with a big brand does not guarantee a seamless transport of goods.

Conduct necessary research and review updated reports to learn and identify an airline’s strengths and areas of improvement. No two carriers are the same, and the options available depend on the amount of knowledge you have going in and what fits your long-term and short-term needs. Consider the partnerships involved with the airline of your choice and how these partnerships create competitive advantage. If you can’t identify what makes a carrier or airline significant, it might be time to reconsider market options.