Looking for the best hotel web site to maximize your commissions?

Then  join us for a free live on-line training session so you can learn how the benefits of the new CCRAonelink.com Travel Agent Booking Portal. Our site will change your world as you know it. We'll show you how to take control of your commissions with a fast and easy on-line training session. You’ll have access to a totally new world of research, booking and payments.   There is no cost to you and the benefits are limitless. We'll even send you a complimentary Starbucks Gift Card for attending. So sign up today to take advantage of these informative training classes and enjoy your Starbucks!   Attend a live webinar and receive a Starbucks Gift Card, compliments of CCRA. Sign up today.

In This Issue:
GDS still delivering higher ADR for hotels, but at whose expense?
Jet Lag—don't let it spoil your trip
Healthy Tips - Dining on the Dash
Sliding through Airport Security
CCRA Car Rental Tips
OneLink Call Center Services: Inbound and Outbound Opportunities
Featured Chefs - Marcus Samuelsson and Johan Svensson of Riingo's
 

GDS still delivering higher ADR for hotels, but at whose expense?  top

According to a recent TravelCLICK’s eMonitor report for the first quarter of 2006, electronic bookings for hotels via the Global Distribution Systems (GDS) and key Internet sites combined was up 12.9%. Travel agent bookings remained the dominant source of GDS hotel e-business, representing 84.9% of total room nights. The travel agent component of GDS bookings had a 5.0% increase in ADR and a 13.9% increase in revenue versus the first quarter of 2005. Travel agents continued to be a key source of higher rate business for hotels. The average rate for room nights booked through travel agents was 37.1% higher than the average rate for room nights booked via the Internet. For the first quarter 2006, travel agent hotel room nights via the GDS were up 8.5%, driving a 13.9% revenue growth from the same period in 2005.

While hotels are ecstatic about the increase of GDS related room rates, with the client or guest bearing the brunt of the increases, what do these statistics mean for travel agents? The numbers seem to indicate that hotels are offering higher rates through the GDS, and your clients are paying for it. Your clients are also comparing the GDS rates you’re offering against the rates they can find themselves on the internet at home. The real question is “how are travel agents doing a better job of saving their clients money?” After all, travelers use travel agents to book hotels for convenience as well as to find the best room rates.

One way to save your client money over a GDS reservation is to book a net rate on the new CCRAonelink.com portal. These net rates are normally much cheaper than the GDS rates and are usually for the same room type that the guest would receive upon arrival. An example of this is in Miami. Checking the Intercontinental-Miami for August 2 – August 4th you see a GDS rate of $183 per day displayed. A net rate of $96.22 is available for the same room type and dates at the same hotel. The variance is $86.78 per day or a 47% discount for the guest, your client. Adding a 15% commission (you can mark net rates up to 100% commission using the Dynamic Rate Calculator), the rate becomes $110.65, a 39.5% savings for the guest. There are numerous examples of similar savings opportunities on the CCRAonelink.com portal.

In summary, hotels have become quite savvy in managing their rates via various distribution channels. You can still provide a huge value to your clients, and make a larger commission, quicker, by utilizing the full functionality of the CCRAonelink.com portal, including the net rates.

Jet Lag—don't let it spoil your trip  top

Jet lag is a problem for most travelers, whether they travel on business or for pleasure.

Jet Lag! Those two words conjure up that debilitating feeling of tiredness and confusion that often overtakes us after a long journey, especially across the ocean. It can rob you of the first one, two or even more days of your overseas visit. If you are on vacation, you lose a precious chunk of your well-earned time off; if you are on business, you could blow an important deal because your brain wasn't functioning up to par. Jet lag—who needs it? Nobody—but everybody gets it. A Conde Naste survey showed 93% of long haul travelers do. A survey from New Zealand showed 96% of international flight attendants do.

Jet lag—what causes it?

• The biggest cause of jet lag is crossing time zones, particularly from west to east—although it also happens in the opposite direction.
• The atmosphere in jet aircraft contributes in two ways. First, cabin pressure results in air that is many times more pressurized that what most of us are accustomed to on the ground. Second, the air is often recirculated in the cabin and becomes stale. This makes you tired and can even cause headaches.
• The majority of adults drink alcohol at some point in a long flight, and flying increases the effects of alcohol on the body by about 200-300%. So if you tend to feel drowsy after a couple of glasses of wine at home, multiply that effect by three for each glass you have in-flight and it's not surprising you feel sleepy!
• Sitting for the eight to fifteen hours it can take to cross one of the world's larger oceans doesn't help, because it puts extra pressure on your stomach at a time when you are probably eating more often than usual in that period of time—that's because they keep feeding you to pass the time! Altogether, it would be surprising if we didn't get jet lag on overseas flights! Jet lag—what can we do about it?
• The time we spend before our flight can have an effect. How often do you run around at the speed of light trying to get everything done before you leave on vacation? Then you have to pack—but before that you must make sure you have selected all your wardrobe items and that they are laundered. Quite often you are doing things until late at night, and you don't even get the amount of sleep you usually take. All these activities add to your stress level, which in turn adds to the effects of jet lag.
  Solution: plan ahead as much as possible, enlist the help of family members, go to bed at a reasonable time and get a good night's sleep.
• Many transatlantic flights, for example, are overnight. You leave in the early evening, so you don't eat dinner before you leave. By the time the flight takes off and the attendants are ready to serve, you end up eating dinner at what is normally close to your bed time. Most people don't sleep well during the flight, and to make matters worse, when you land on the other side of the ocean you have virtually lost five hours out of your normal sleep time.
  Solution: try to take one of the growing number of daytime flights. Yes, it's the same amount of flying time, but experts agree the jet lag effect can be much less.
• Who hasn't felt dried out during a long flight? It's the dry air on the aircraft. However, drinking alcohol, caffeine or sugary fruit drinks doesn't help, and may add to the jet leg effect.
  Solution: Drink lots of water, preferably the bottled kind. Bring your own in your in-flight luggage.
• Lack of exercise and sitting in an unnaturally cramped position (especially in the limited seating space in Economy Class) add to the misery of jet lag.
  Solution: learn some exercises you can do while sitting. Twisting and stretching exercises can help keep your joints limber. Regardless of how silly you may feel, do get up and walk up and down the aisle a few times over the hours. It will help keep your feet from swelling, and may decrease the effects of jet lag.

Don't let jet lag spoil your trip—use all these techniques and fight back!

About the Author
Helen Wilkie is a joyful traveler, who likes to pass along her travel tips to others who share her love of travel. Send a blank e-mail to hwilkie-170241@autocontactor.com and Helen will send you her free 7-part e-course "Seven surprising, fun ways to see the world"!

Dining on the Dash  top

It seems the busier we get, the more we depend on drive-thrus, restaurants, vending machines, and prepared meals for our daily nourishment. Relying on these sources may save us time, yet they can also preserve our poundage (and then some). You don’t have to give up this convenient mode of consumption, but there are some rules you should follow to steer you in the right direction.

The good news is, fast food restaurants are not off-limits. You can order a meal at any of these restaurants without blowing your fat budget. Of course that does not include a double-decker burger with a giant order of fries (that could be two days worth of fat). Simply choose a menu item that is low in fat.

Here are some pointers for selecting fast food meals that are happy and healthy too.

• Most fast food restaurants use regular processed cheese which is high in fat and calories. Get in the habit of omitting the cheese from any item that you order
• Order your muffins, biscuits or sandwiches without any butter, mayonnaise or mayonnaise-based sauces.
• Choose a broiled chicken sandwich over a hamburger or a breaded, deep-fried chicken/fish sandwich.
• Avoid the deluxe or jumbo versions of any menu items. Always choose the smallest size offered (it’s usually the regular).
• If fried chicken is your only choice, choose the regular coating over the extra crispy type and make sure you peel the skin off.
• When selecting a pizza, opt for a thin crust and tell them to go easy on the cheese. If you add an extra topping make sure it’s veggies (but tell them to hold the olives).
• If a fast food restaurant offers potatoes, order yours plain.
• Consult the fast food nutrition guides to find out if your favorite menu items are healthy. Try to keep your fast food meal around 500 to 600 calories and 12 to 18 grams of fat.

Annette Cain – Health Catalyst Annette Cain is a graduate of the University of California at Davis, with a Baccalaureate of Science in Nutrition Science. She received her Masters Degree in Health Services-Wellness Promotion from the California College of Health Sciences. Annette has also completed her certification program for the Treatment of Eating Disorders at John F. Kennedy University. The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) has certified her as a personal trainer, and she has fourteen years of experience in weight management and exercise programming. Annette has dedicated her career to promoting wellness and preventing disease through exercise and healthy habits.

Sliding through Airport Security  top

By: Maxine Greco

You’ve all seen the lines to get through airport security. It’s become more and more congested. Passengers haven’t taken the time to read the rules and that slows everyone down and makes the boarding process more frustrating.

First and foremost, make sure your carry-on bag is the correct size. Many airlines have different regulations; so always check with the airline before packing. As a rule of thumb, most airlines allow two items to be carried on. One is a personal bag, such as a briefcase, laptop, camera bag, or purse. The other is a 45” length, height and width total dimensions of the bag to fit in the overhead. Some of the airlines also have a weight restriction on your carry-on bag. If your bag cannot be carried on, keep in mind that the only lock you are permitted to use is the TSA lock.

Next, be sure you are not packing any prohibited items in your bag. Sharp objects or weapons are just common sense. However, many of the airlines are now allowing scissors with blades less than 4” long, screwdrivers less than 7” long, tools less than 7” long, including wrenches and pliers, knitting needles, tweezers and nail clippers. You can obtain the complete list from your airline or from their website.

You have to remember that you will personally have to walk through a metal detector. Keep that in mind when you are getting dressed for your trip. You will have to remove belts if they have a metal buckle. Also your watch, and most other jewelry except rings and/or small earrings will need to be removed before going through the metal detector. Additionally, most shoes have some sort of metal reinforcement and they will also have to be removed. With the exception of your shoes, it’s easiest to put all of these items in your carry bag, and put them on after going through security. Always be sure to bring medical proof along with you if you have had any type of surgery that would use metal pins or parts. This is imperative because you would have no other way of proving why the machine keeps identifying metal on your person.

The easiest way to approach going through airport security is to be organized. Security will occasionally do random searches, and overstuffing your bag makes it harder for them to look through your bag. It also makes it more difficult for you to close the bag and continue on your way. Many experienced traveler’s pack in special packing cubes so that all of their underwear, socks and sleepwear are together. There are also plastic lined cases to keep your toiletries separate. Security personnel may also ask to see an item that showed up on the x-ray machine. If your bag is organized, you’ll find the item they have asked to look at much faster and easier.

You’ll notice that more and more passengers are carrying on bags. Because the overhead compartments of the plane become so full, it’s important to put identification tags on both handles of your cases. It’s easy for someone to mistake your bag for his or her own because your bag will not always be able to fit in the compartment over your own seat. There is a new line of luggage called Mosaic. It has a monogram plate for initials on the bottom of the case. This is a great idea since the bag is clearly identified from the back end and that is what you see first in an overhead compartment.

These tips should get you on your way quickly and efficiently. Have a great travel experience.

Maxine Greco has worked in the luggage and travel industry over 35 years. She is currently at Village Luggage & Gifts. Article Source: http://real-articles.com

CCRA Car Rental Tips
Courtesy of Thrifty Car Rental  top

Should I purchase the CDW/LDW from the car rental company?

We recommend that the customer review their personal car insurance policy. In most cases, you will be covered in event of an accident. A number of credit card companies also offer loss damage protection but often as secondary to your primary insurance. Again, review the terms and conditions of your particular card program to decide what's best for you.

For rentals outside of the U.S. and Canada, it is recommended to purchase the LDW protection.

Do I pre pay for gasoline or refill the gas tank upon return of the rental vehicle?

It is always suggested to fill the rental car with gas before returning back to the airport.

There are pre pay gas programs you can purchase at the time of rental. This requires the customer to bring the vehicle back with an almost empty tank. So it is suggested if you are driving more than 100 and less then 300 miles you may want to purchase this option.

OneLink Call Center Services:
Inbound and Outbound Opportunities  top

Currently, over 500 travel agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada depend on OneLink’s Inbound Call Center Services, based in Agoura Hills, CA, to deliver consistently reliable and professional after-hours services to their customers, many of whom are still on the road long after these agencies have closed for the evening or weekend. It is a service that we have been proudly offering since we opened our doors over thirty years ago.

Employing an agent workforce comprised primarily of experienced work-at-home agents and utilizing cutting-edge telephony and computer support equipment, our call center handles about 5,000 calls and processes about a thousand tickets and exchanges per month. The productivity of our agents and quality of the service they provide have each been bolstered by considerable investment by OneLink over the past year in technology, staffing and training. Recently, the average time that our callers have had to wait before being connected with an agent has declined dramatically and the percentage of transactions processed without an error has risen consistently since the beginning of the year.

Increased staffing, a new Operations management structure, additional service offerings, an expanded training curriculum, development of SLA’s, and an online customer survey are all in the works for the remainder of 2006. The first five months of the year have been encouraging on all fronts, the outlook for the next seven is downright exciting!

If you would like to have an informative, hassle-free conversation to see what OneLink can offer your agency, please contact any one of our professional Sales Directors: Barb Kendrick, Melinda Erosky or Nina Mays.

Just as exciting is the potential opportunity presented to our clients and prospective clients by OneLink’s Outbound Call Center Services, based in Reno, NV. With our 125-seat, state-of-the-art call center, capable of housing 200+ agents over multiple shifts, we have specialized in providing a transparent connection between our clients and their customers. Simply stated, the nature of this business is to reach out and talk to people.

Our outbound offerings include a full range of telemarketing services, such as customer service, payment collection, customer qualification, and marketing surveys. Our customer base has included large and medium size companies across a broad spectrum of industry sectors, including telecommunications, banking, entertainment and travel and tourism. We bill our services on a per-agent-hour basis and, when appropriate, have combined a base rate with a pay-for-performance incentive.

A significant number of our business contacts are now coming to us through our recently entered partnership with TeleTech Holdings, Inc., a leading global business process outsourcing provider.

Companies interested in exploring potential customer contact outsourcing opportunities with OneLink should contact Nina Mays, Director, Regional Sales, at nina.mays@onelinkcorp.com.

At OneLink Call Center Services, the year is off to a good start, on both the Inbound and Outbound sides of the business. We invite you to contact us and see how we might help you to better achieve your business goals. Mention this article and receive a discount off your first month’s billing on any and all services!

Chefs Marcus Samuelsson and Johan Svensson Present Riingo's Spring Menu  top

Marcus Samuelsson voted "2003 Best Chef in New York City" by the James Beard Foundation.

Since opening in January 2004, Riingo (205 East 45th St, between Second and Third Avenues; 212-867-4200) has offered a casual and inspired menu of new American dishes, coupled with an emphasis on traditional and innovative sushi. Together, chefs Marcus Samuelsson and Johan Svensson have created Riingo’s winter menu. Inspired by the Japanese word for “apple,” Riingo refers to the iconic symbol of New York City, with a menu that reflects both chefs’ interest with techniques and sensibilities incorporated from Asian and American cultures.

Riingo’s spring menu additions include Grilled escolar with ramps and morels, and a Smoked salmon summer roll with jasmine tea vinaigrette. Longtime favorites such as the Braised pork belly with garlic and Napa cabbage, Chicken dumplings with ponzu and scallions and the Grilled burger with applewood-smoked bacon, Vermont cheddar and French Fries remain on the menu.

Riingo’s menu also features classic sushi rolls as well as signature selections, including Tuna Foie Gras, Toro Pickled Daikon, American Kobe Beef, and Rice Puff Crusted Shrimp roll. Using premium ingredients and classic Japanese training at Nobu of London and Bond Street, Svensson creates both traditional and inventive maki, nigiri, and sashimi, which are available throughout the restaurant or while seated at Riingo’s seven-seat sushi bar.

The restaurant’s recently refreshed décor features hues of white, ecru and bone-colored walls, dark wooden floors, exposed wine racks, and a contemporary light installation that is reflected on the back wall of the intimate dining room. The open and inviting glass-enclosed bar and lounge serves signature cocktails such as the Baked Apple Martini mixing vodka and Pommeau de Normandie and the Sugar Plum Daiquiri, combining choya – a plum liqueur– and rum. A menu of lounge favorites including Rice crackers with soy bean spread, Edamame, and Cassava chips with yuzu sour cream are also offered. Riingo’s private dining room on the mezzanine level offers dining and event space for up to 75 guests. During warmer months, guests can dine al fresco in Riingo’s sleek sidewalk café.

Breakfast is served Monday through Saturday, 7 - 11 a.m. Lunch is served Monday through Friday, 12 -2:30 p.m. Dinner is served Sunday through Wednesday, 5:30 - 10:30 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday until 11:00 p.m. Sunday Jazz Brunch is available from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. For reservations, please call Riingo at 212.867.4200.

Pepper-crusted beef tenderloin steaks serves 4 2 tablespoons white peppercorns 2 tablespoons black peppercorns 2 tablespoons pink peppercorns 2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil 4 anchovy fillets 3 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon olive oil 11/2 pounds center-cut beef tenderloin, cut into 4 steaks Put the peppercorns in a small saucepan, add water to cover, and bring to a boil; drain. Add cold water to cover, bring to a boil, and drain again; repeat 2 more times. Spread the peppercorns on paper towels and let dry thoroughly. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Put the peppercorns in a mini processor or blender and process until coarsely crushed. Add the sesame oil, anchovies, and garlic, and blend to a coarse paste. Transfer to a small bowl. Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron or other heavy ovenproof skillet over high heat until almost smoking hot. Add the tenderloin steaks and sear for 1 minute on each side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the steaks for 6 minutes, or until cooked to medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a warm platter and rub the peppercorn mixture all over them. Let rest for 10 minutes. To serve, slice the steaks and arrange on four plates