In a move that should help level the playing field for U.S. airlines and travel service providers, the U.S. Department of Transportation has implemented several new regulations of which frequent travelers should be aware.

One of the most visible changes that went into effect Jan. 24 relates to fare advertising. Airlines are now required to disclose fees and taxes when quoting fares, including baggage fees. This will make it easier for “apples to apples” comparison when shopping for fares.

Additional consumer protections went into effect last week. Airlines cannot raise your ticket price after you have bought the ticket. Travelers may hold a reservation for up to 24 hours without paying, if the reservation is made a week or more before the departure date. Passengers also may cancel or change a reservation within 24 hours of booking without paying a penalty — again, if the flight was booked at least a week in advance. If a flight is delayed, passengers must receive status updates every 30 minutes, including the reasons for the delay, if known to the airline.

We applaud the additional transparency for consumers, who have often been seduced by so-called “teaser” fares that turned out to be much higher than advertised, and fully support initiatives that enhance the air travel experience.

What are your thoughts about the new regulations? We’d love to hear your opinion.

American business travelers to Asia soon will be eligible for fast-track entry at airports in Asia-Pacific nations, thanks to a bill recently signed into law by President Obama.

The APEC Business Travel Card will allow qualified, pre-screened business travelers access to fast-track immigration lanes at airports, and it eliminates the need to apply for visas or entry permits. The card itself serves as the visa. The cards are accepted in 21 nations belonging to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and are valid for three years. Learn more about how the card works here.

The new card for U.S travelers is not yet available, but you can find progress updates here.

Being based on the east coast and more specifically the state of Maryland, we recently experienced natural phenomena that are not common in our area. An earthquake in Baltimore and then followed by a hurricane? Well, the good news, our systems and staff are setup all around the country and we didn’t miss a step in helping our travelers endure Mother Nature’s roar. Our staff processed over 16,549 inquiries during this time enabling travelers to continue with their business efforts, return to their families or continue on with their missions. Thank you for trusting Safe Harbors during these difficult travel periods!

The 2012 Olympics will be held in London, England July 27-August 12, 2012 and will be followed by the Paralympic Games August 29-September 9, 2012. This will affect passengers traveling to and through London for their 2012 plans.  It is important to remember that travelers using London as a connection point to their final destination will be impacted by less seat availability resulting in higher fares. Once your travel commences, please make sure your trip is well planned to counter the amount of travelers exiting in London or connecting beyond. Our advice is to book as early as possible giving you plenty of advance purchase options.

Within our latest newsletter you will find information about Southwest Airlines acquiring AirTran Airways and “passenger rights”. So, where’s the news or even the good news? With Southwest acquiring AirTran, passengers will see an expanded route structure but the fares, frequent flier programs and simplicity of upgrading will certainly be a thing of the past. The only common thread both carriers had in common was the tag line of “low cost carriers”.

Now on to the next big topic of “passenger rights”. It sounds nice but is it really practical or even necessary? Can you imagine running your business like an airline where the government needs to step in to make sure you are disclosing all fees or if you lost your customer’s property legislation requires you to reimburse? Not a chance! There is a strong chance we would no longer be in business if we failed to provide the most elementary features of customer services.

So, we are now down to four major airlines in the United States and it is a strong possibility we may be down to three in the very near future. This is not good news for anyone. Reduced competition will result in higher fares, poor customer service and awkward attempts of legislation. Let’s welcome new airlines to the industry and reject additional mergers in the future.

South African Airways (SAA), officially launched its new non-stop round-trip service between New York and South Africa. The north-bound, non-stop flight from Johannesburg to New York complements the already popular morning non-stop New York-Johannesburg service that provides quick and convenient connections to more than 40 destinations throughout the African continent.  Previously, the return flight SA203 from Johannesburg to New York made a 1-hour passenger and refueling stop in Dakar, Senegal. Flight SA203 now departs Johannesburg at 8:35 p.m. for a non-stop journey to New York that arrives at 6:40 a.m. the following day.  The new flight schedule saves the traveler 90 minutes of travel time, and allows even easier connections from throughout more of Africa. In addition, when travelers arrive in New York, they have even more connection choices with a number of airlines, including code share partners United Airlines and JetBlue Airways

As discussed in previous newsletters, our Crisis Plan went into action and enabled many of our travelers to return from Japan safely while notifying companies/organizations of their traveler’s whereabouts and status. We continue to monitor travelers who are either in transit or have future schedules in the region.

Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the Japanese people as they are desperately in need of our assistance. I would kindly ask that you join us in giving whatever you can to the American Red Cross dedicated “Japanese Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami” disaster relief efforts. Please click here to make a donation. Thank you!

With the current events in the Middle East, please know you are in good hands with Safe Harbors Travel Group. As a result of our “Crisis Plan”, we are prepared to handle any situation in the world. Examples include successfully rerouting travelers during the volcanic ash, rerouting travelers out of earthquakes, tsunami’s and most recently unrest in the Middle East. Our “Crisis Plan” is a proactive standard order of procedure (SOP) that enables our staff to prepare, and respond accordingly.

You may have already noticed but we have a new look in our Invoices and Itineraries. It is a combination text e-mail with a web link for mobile travelers. Aside from the mobile application, we are very excited about the map features, Boarding Pass link and Flight Tracker to give you up to the minute status of your flight. We hope you enjoy these new enhancements!

Are you ready for more changes?

Now that the holidays and New Years well wishing are behind us, we would like to take this opportunity to pass on a few items and tips for 2011. Considering the many challenges 2010 brought to the travel industry, we are very proud of the accomplishments of our staff and the partnerships we have developed with our clients. Their resiliency and commitment to customer service proved to be second to none.

You can guarantee a few things about our crazy industry; policies are always changing and travel disruption will happen. Understanding these dynamics, we will continue to keep you informed of the changes and promise to always be there for you when issues arise during travel.

Unfortunately, experts are all predicting increases between 2%-6% in airfares, hotels and auto rental companies. In some cases, airfares may not increase in the general sense but expect to see ancillary or separate fees for checked bags, assigned seats, boarding the plane early or speaking with an agent at the airport. Yes, new for 2011, you may have to pay extra for the privilege of speaking with an agent at the counter. In addition, hotels have taken notes and have expanded on their ancillary fees as well. Business hotels are not typically considered resorts, you may see a line item called a “resort fee” on your bill.

Aside from general annoyance, there are other items to consider. We highly recommend reviewing your company travel policy and identifying fees that are reimbursable and others that should be absorbed by the traveler. The most obvious fees are meals and baggage but assigned seats and upgrades need to be considered as well. We recommend such detail to be included in your travel policy or company handbook. If you need examples of language, please fee free to contact us at clientservices@safeharbors.com and we would be glad to help.

We thank you for your business in 2010 and wish you the best of luck and success in 2011!