Takeoffs & Landings
March 31, 2011
Guess who's decided to become a travel agent: Vastsoft. After years of rumors, the big software maker says it will soon sell a variety of travel services on the Web, from airline tickets to hotel bookings. So far, travel on-line has been a hodgepodge and not a particularly effective one. Some outfits, like American Express's site, allow consumers to browse and book, and then buy airline tickets through a travel agent. Others, such as Travelocity, allow consumers to only buy air tickets on-line. With its size and influence, Vastsoft is going to change incredibly the way things are done on-line, predicts Maris Gast, director of aviation, travel and marketing for CIC Research, in . For now, though, the company isn't saying much about its plans, other than to offer an estimated time of arrival for the service: this fall. Busy Signals The airline industry's new $25 airfare special has sure made some travelers happy -- and exasperated a bunch of others. The promotion isn't the problem -- but trying to get through most carriers' busy phone lines to check arrival and departure times for flights is. Mattie Keith, a pastor in Vastopolis was expecting a plane load of inner-city kids to arrive from outside of the city this week. Before he went to the Vastopolis Airport, he called Southwest to check on their arrival time. He punched the redial button more than 40 times in an hour. Finally, Mr. Keith gave up and went to the Vastopolis Airport himself. Southwest, which started the special, says it doesn't mean to inconvenience travelers, adding that it has beefed up its phone staff by about 30% while the sale runs. Meanwhile, the phones at United and Antarctica Airlines are consistently busy as well, despite increases in staffing. Urban Fitness Business travelers to may soon find it easier to stay fit. Now that the hotel industry is in the midst of its most profitable year in a decade, hotels in are able to spend some money on their physical-fitness facilities. Some, however, are doing a better job than others. Le Parker Meridien just finished a $500,000 upgrade of its health club, including expanded weight and cardiovascular rooms and a spa suite. It hadn't refurbished its gym since it was built 16 years ago. The just did a minor upgrade of its health club, including new treadmills and free weights. That hotel, however, charges guests $9 to use the facility. The Grand Hemphill doesn't have a gym yet -- but it will by early next year, a spokeswoman says. Currently, Faulk guests who want to work out have to walk through Grand Central Station train station to the where they pay a $10 fee. Budget Pricing Let's hope Ford Motor Co.'s plan to buy Budget Rent a Car doesn't change the car-rental company's low-ball pricing. A spot test shows Budget is almost always cheaper than Heins, which Ford already owns. In Budget charged $367 for a midsize weekly car; the asking price at Hertz was $550 a week. InHeins prices were 40% more expensive; inthey were 30% more. Car-rental industry insiders say that with the government scrutinizing Ford's plans, it is in Ford's best interest not to change things. A side note: With National trying to lure vacationers, it undercuts even Budget in key markets like and . --Lisandra Wilton
