Hot Preferred Newsletter

MUMBAIIndia’s most affluent and industrialized city.Read our article on page 8.

News and updates from preferred suppliers brought to you by Hickory Travel Systems in affiliation with Custom Travel Systems, Traveleaders, GlobalStar Travel Management and L’alianXa Travel Network.

Winter 2008

SWEN

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Hot N E W SWinter 2008

Hot News is published quarterly by Hickory Travel Systems, Park 80 Plaza East, Saddle Brook, NJ 07663-5291.

The content of this publication is copyright ©2007 by Hickory Travel Systems and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of publisher.

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For more information including login and password, block space, or to subscribe to our promotions

and specials, please contact the Hotel Help Desk at 800-448-0350, ext. 3102 or email hoteldesk@hickorytravelsystems.com.

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New features include:o More photoso Video tourso Amenity based searcheso Regional Map Searcheso Pet Friendly Hotels

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While the world is becoming increasingly flat, people are traveling the globe in record numbers, for business and leisure. In 2005 according to the International Air Transportation Association, more than 340.5 million passengers boarded airplanes from U.S. airports to international destinations. The average sum of foreign currency purchased overseas is roughly $200 per person each day; thus $68 billion are exchanged annually. The U.S. traveler staying 7 days abroad spend an average of $1,400 to $3,500 combined cash and credit card while they are away. And yet, currency exchange is the most prevalent at venues abroad with some of the least favorable exchange options.

Where are these travelers purchasing their foreign currency? Many travelers leave the U.S. unprepared and use the services of foreign banks, ATMs, overseas Kiosks, airports, and hotels, most inflated with surcharges and high exchange rates. Many travelers are giving up 7% (that’s 4 percent merchant fee plus 3% foreign exchange conversion fee) just to use their bank credit card.

eZforex Foreign Currency Services makes it easy for a traveler to fulfill their foreign exchange needs before they leave through the most convenient venue, the travel agency. The travel agent is the first to learn his/her client is traveling overseas. While making overseas travel arrangements, the travel agent asks, “How much foreign currency do you wish to take?”

eZforex’s Agency Affiliate Program” provides travel agencies access for purchasing foreign currency, foreign travelers Cheques, foreign wires and international drafts , at the most competitive rates, while maintaining BSA compliant technology via a secure web based platform. A traveler simply places an order for the currency they need with the eZforex affiliated travel agent, either at the agency location or on their website, pays with check or

credit card, and the currency is sent directly to their home or place of business via overnight UPS.

Some travelers only purchase small amounts of foreign currency before they leave so that they are prepared with the thought of exchanging more when they are overseas. For example, Mary Schmidt traveling to Spain and Portugal decided to pre-purchase $200 worth of Euros, just enough to get her through one day of a 14 day journey. When asked why only $200, she said she was afraid of loosing the value of her money when returning. Her concern was valid, since she may have lost 15 percent through another vendor; however Mary bought her currency through her travel agency that was affiliated with eZforex Foreign Currency Services. eZforex offers a “Price Protection Policy”, Mary learned by paying a mere $10 per currency she can return up to $2500 and receive the same exchange rate as initially purchased, thus easing her mind. Mary then purchased $2800 worth of “Price Protected” Euros at the most competitive retail rate. Mary left for her trip to Spain and Portugal satisfied, prepared and never had to look for a currency venue in a foreign country wondering if she would receive a good conversion rate for her dollars.

Offering a convenient venue for travelers to purchase foreign exchange, is captivating travel agency customers as one of the most value-added services offered while generating new revenues to the agency. One last fact to consider…100% of international travelers convert currency during their overseas trip, if they are going to convert currency, shouldn’t they purchase foreign currency with you?

Increase your PROFITS by offering foreign currency exchange

For more information about becoming an eZforex affiliate and begin earning significant incremental revenue from the sale of Foreign Currency, Travelers Cheques, Foreign Wires and Drafts, call Denise Coraggio at 1-800-448-0350 x3106 or dcoraggio@hickorytravelsystems.com

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Remote Desk Top Virtual Agent

Access to all 4 GDS systems, with or without your own GDS contract

The HTS Remote Desktop is your access to a virtual world of travel programs and planned profitability. It gains you pre-configured access choices not available in the travel industry. Your agency can sign into its own GDS, any one of Hickory’s four GDS, without the expense of multi GDS contracts, or permission based access into any one of Hickory Travel Systems partners’ GDS. It also provides an internet launch pad for your agency and Hickory to put GDS bypass and direct deals on a functional, virtual desktop for use by your agents anywhere in the world.

Functionalities:

q

Home Agents – zero install, minimum configuration, low

maintenance. Agents can log onto agency’s GDS or HTS PCC and

work on live PNR with full access to all 4 GDS systems.

q

GDS Redundant Access – VPN is out of service provides alternate

routing to host system. Agency keeps operating with minimal

impact.

q

Multi GDS Access – Provides access to any GDS without the

expense of multiple GDS contracts. Excellent sales/marketing tool.

Solution to selective-participating carriers.

q

Self-serve Cross Ticketing- Global sourcing, maximize override

revenue by placing reservations where most needed. Potential to

take advantage of segment credit disparity from deregulation.

q

Onsite Meeting and Demo access – Hospitality desk GDS access,

Demo from any PC, work while on the road.

q

Cooperative Account Handling –providing PNR access to our

International partner agencies to better support traveler’s

enroute. For more information, please contact Cindi Caputo

at 800-568-1705 or ccaputo@hickorytravelsystems.com.

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Hickory Travel Systems international fare training is designed to provide your agents with a comprehensive working knowledge of international fares. With the explosion of code-share flights, the exact same itinerary can have varied pricing. Do your agents have the knowledge and the confidence that is needed to provide your customers with the best international itineraries at the lowest fare? The international department has a comprehensive training program that will give your agents this confidence. Basic international rules and fares are explained in an easy to understand format. These training courses are designed to accommodate your work day and coverage and are an invaluable tool.

Do you portray your agents as ‘consultants’ who will assist your clients in obtaining the best airfares? Many agents have become ‘order takers’, and this does not differentiate you from very large, impressive agencies. If you truly want to manage your customers’ travel costs, our training can help.

The basic class we offer will cover the following points: • Mileage system • Stopovers and how to use them to your advantage • Minimum fares • Higher fare points • Codeshares, their advantages and disadvantages • Separate tickets, when it is not advisable • Commissions • Ticket validation • Air alliances • Roundtheworld,circlepacificfaresandvisitfareswithcomparisoncharts • Refunds and reissues

The class can be altered to cover any topics that may be relevant to your customer mix, or that your agents need assistance with. In addition, classes can be created to cover any special topics that you need, such as reissues, refunds, or more advanced topics.

If you are interested in a training class, please contact us at iaspinfo@hickorytravelsystems.com

International Rate DeskRate Desk

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MumbaiMumbai, is the capital of Maharashtra state in India. Mumbai, formerly Bombay, is the fast moving, most affluent and most industrialized city in India. Mumbai is part of the west coast of India, which is home to one of the busiest ports in India, handling 40 percent of all India’s maritime trade.

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ENGLISH HINDIYes HaanNo NahinHello NamaskaarPlease KrupyaGoodbye NamasteWhere is ….? …kahan hain?What time is it? Samay kya hain?How are you? Aap kaise hain?Thank you SkukriyaaWhat is your name? Aap ka naam kya hian?Please get me a taxi? Krupay ek taxi bulaoWhat is the price of this? Is ka keemat kya hain?The price is too much Bahoot mehenga hainDo you understand English? Aap angrezi bol saktehain?What do you want? Aap kya chahta hoon?I do not understand Mujhe nahin samazta hainI do not need this Mujhe yeah nahin chahiyeI need this Mujhe yeah chahiye

There are 18 official languages in India, but Hindi is the national language. Most Indians speak and understand English. Nodding the head in India can mean “no” or “I have not understood what you have said.” Likewise, shaking the head side to side can mean, “yes” in India, while it means “no” in most other cultures.

Language –

When to Visit –The best time to travel to Bombay is between October and March. The skies are clear and the weather is cool and pleasant. The average annual high is 87 and low is 73. The monsoon season runs from mid June through mid September,it is hot and humid with heavy rains and best avoided.

Areas:Churhgate & Nariman Point: business and hotel centersNariman Point : major bank and airlines headquartersHutatma Chowk: Flora Fountain; commercial part of MumbaiKemps Corner: trendy area with high end boutiques, estaurants, and homes Malabar Hill: historical residential area home to wealthy industrialists and government ministers

Bazaar’s:Chor BazaarZaveri Bazaar, jewelryMahatma Ivotiba Phule Market

Most banks: weekdays 10-2, Saturday 10-noon; closed on government holidaysPost Office: Monday-Saturday 10-5; closed on government holidaysMuseums: generally closed on Mondays and government holidaysSite Museums: generally closed on Fridays and government holidays

Clothing –Travel as light as possible. Women should avoid wearing tank tops or short skirts. Men and women should avoid wearing shorts. Many women travelers wear the long tunic and loose pyjama dress of Indian women called the salwar-kameez and find that it makes it easier to blend in and not stand out as a foreigner.

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Airport: Mumbai’s Airport is about 19 miles north of Mumbai. There are counters at the airport where you can book a taxi for a set fare. You will get a coupon to give to the driver, so there is no question what the fare will be. Fare should be about 300 rupees ($7) and the travel time could be 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on traffic. There are no trains or buses available from the airport to the city. Visa: All foreign visitors to India require a valid visa. Hickory Travel Systems partner agencies can assist their travelers with Visas through our preferred agreement with CIBT. If you need your account number, please contact Denise Coraggio at 800-448-0350 ext 3106 or dcoraggio@hickorytravelsystems.com

Health Risks: Gastroenteritis, typhoid, cholera or jaundice may be acquired through unhygienic water or food. Conjunctivitis is common as the pollution level is high. As protection from disease-carrying mosquitoes, flies, etc., wear long-sleeved shirts or blouses. Drink bottled water only. Some travelers develop a problem on their second or third day in India because of a lack of acclimatization or heat exhaustion, rather than a reaction to the change in food and water. They are advised to drink lots of fluids (water with a little salt and sugar) and keep to a diet of rice and curd for a couple of days to give their system time to adjust. If an upset stomach persists, seek medical advice

Time Zone: Despite its size, India has a single time zone. It is 5½ hours ahead of London (GMT), 10½ hours ahead of New York and 13½ hours ahead of San Francisco

Currency: One rupee=100 paisa. Earlier Indian coins came in the denominations of 5, 10, 20, 25 and 50 paisa but now only coins of denominations of 1, 2 and 5 rupees are acceptable. Indian Notes

come in the denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rupees. If you are handed a grubby note, insist on having it exchanged for a newer one. Have a big supply of small currency notes, as change almost does not exist in India. Indian rupees can be obtained in advance by using Hickory Travel Systems preferred agreement with EZForex using their website www.ezforex.com

Credit Cards: American Express, Diners Club, Master Card and Visa are accepted by large establishments, but it is still wise to carry Indian currency. Credit cards can be used to get cash advances in rupees.

Tipping: 10% is the norm in high-end restaurants that do not add a service charge to the bill. Small change in modest restaurants is acceptable. Round off taxi fare; add more for exceptionally good service.

Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz

International Calls:011 is the international prefix used to dial somewhere outside the US91 is the international country code for India22 is the city code used to dial to Mumbai

English Language Media:Cable TV is widely available. BBC World Service and CNN beam the latest news; ESPN will keep you up to date on sports, while Star provides an entire stable of entertainment channels. The more widely accessible national channel has some English programs, and a daily English news segment.

Reservation CenterReservation Center

Group TravelPlease be sure to fill out the HTS Group questionaire prior to your group traveling. Completed forms or requests for forms should be sent to cirhts@hickorytravelsystems.com. HTS has many options available to assist our partner agencies with their group needs. For example, dedicated staff for the tedious booking process is available to you. For dedicated staff information please email tmendes@hickorytravelsystems.com.

Customer ServiceAll customer service issues should be sent via the form to cirhts@hickorytravelsystems.com. If you have not yet received the form please contact us. Our customer service department is available to you Monday through Friday during business hours to fulfill your needs.

WeatherAs the winter storms approach, the reservation center is ready for those calls. Although we have an abundant staff, it is not limitless. When severe weather creates heavy volume, the reservation center emergency action plan is put into effect.In addition to the many internal procedures in place, your customers will notice one major difference. The phone system

greeting will inform customers of the event causing delays. It will also ask customers calling for non-emergency travel to contact their travel agency the next business day. This allows us to assist those customers who are stranded or are in a true emergency.

Additional StaffNews reports indicate that the first quarter of 2008 promises to be a very busy time for the travel industry. With that in mind, the reservation center has been very busy adding new staff that complements our already existing, highly qualified agents. All reservation center agents have been in the industry a minimum of five years. Most of our staff has over 10 years experience.

Holiday ClosurePlease be sure that you have advised us of your holiday schedule. We are prepared to take your calls during federal holidays. For any closures or early closures outside that time, we aks that you please communicate to us if you need our assistance. If your HR24 profile is not updated with your correct holiday schedule, please let us know by emailing srodriguez@hickorytravelsystems.com.

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S amosasFor the crust: • 1 cup all purpose flour • Water to knead dough • 2 tablespoons of oil (refined oil preferred) • Salt ( as per the taste) • ¼ teaspoon Ajwain (also known as Bishop’s weeds)

Forthestuffing:• 4 mashed boiled potatoes • Boiled green peas • 1-2 finely chopped green chilies • ½ tsp crushed ginger • Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon(s) • 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves • ½ teaspoon Garam masala (hot spice mix) • Dry mango powder (amchoor) or lemon juice ½ teaspoon(s) • ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder• Salt to taste

For making delicious samosas, the following things are required

To prepare the crust:

• Knead the dough using water and oil mixing all other

mentioned ingredients

• Covering it with a moist muslin cloth will keep it soft and moist.

• Keep it aside for 15 to 20 minutes

Topreparethestuffing:

• Heat the oil in a pan. Toss in the cumin seeds and let them

crackle. Add the green chillies and ginger. Fry briefly. Add the

potato cubes and mix well. Add the red chilli powder,salt, dry

mango powder and garam masala powder. Toss well. Sprinkle

some water. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for about 10

minutes or till the potatoes are cooked. Mix in the cooked

green peas and put off the heat. Let cool. Mix in the cilantro

leaves.

TopreparethefinalSamosa:

• One can give any shape to the dough and stuff but the most

common shape is small cones.

• Fill the stuffing into them and pack them from the wide end

of the cone. To ensure that they are sealed use a few drops

of water. One can also prepare a temporary sealing paste

using flour and water.

• Heat oil in a frying pan

• Deep fry the samosas till golden brown

Serve hot with tomato ketchup or tamarind chutney

Preparing the Samosa:

Indian recipeFood

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MAHWAH, NJ, October 15, 2007 – In answer to the open call from President George W. Bush, Chairman and CEO of Directravel, Vincent E. Vitti, today announced the following strategy for easing travel delays:

Recent articles in newspapers and magazines as well as stories circulating across the internet have helped increase consumer awareness of the performance crisis facing the travel industry. The continued pattern of delays is not only a serious inconvenience for travelers, it impacts business productivity and tarnishes the reputa-tion and credibility of the travel industry on the whole. Flight delays are caused by a multitude of reasons, as we all know, many of which are not the complicit fault of the carrier. But it’s the larger problem of “System Failure” that is the airlines’ fault. Unin-spired management and misguided concern for the traveler is shown time after time. A major cause of this chaos is the airlines’ continued compulsion to over-schedule flights to a “theoretical maximum” in high yield periods (late afternoon and early evening).

It’s when “theory meets reality” that the problems begin. Thunder-storms, heavy rain, snow, fog and wind are not unexpected events. They will occur; the unknown is when.

Existing flight schedules work only under perfect conditions. There is no flexibility within the current schedule to accommodate re-routed or late flights, so residual delays compound the problem and effect travelers system-wide. Many have offered possible solutions. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters has said that a ‘congestion pricing model’ that includes surcharges for flying during high volume periods is under consider-ation. This model would again penalize travelers, since any addi-tional costs will inevitably be passed along to them, and there is no guarantee that this will alleviate the problem. As a member of the travel industry for more than 25 years and a frequent traveler, I have experienced the after-effects of these delays both first hand and through my clients, friends, family and associates. That’s why Directravel is developing a unique ap-proach to address the problem. By applying a “Flight Performance Algorithm™” to the

database of flight records we are compiling a more accurate pre-dictor of future delays. The “Flight Performance Tracker™” system will provide these statistics to our clients booking thru DirectLink® Express and to Travologists™ in our offices.

We would be pleased to offer this tool to the FAA to apply to the industry along with the following multi-pronged approach intended to reduce delays:

STEP 1. Redefine “ON TIME.” Currently, flights are graded on a Pass/Fail basis. If there is less than a 15 minute arrival delay, the flight is considered on time; if there is more than 15 minutes, it is late. This provides no incentive for the airlines to avoid lengthy delays. Once a flight gets past 15 minutes, they would seem to be motivated to “forget” that flight and try to keep others from receiv-ing a fail grade.

What is needed is a multi-level approach to measuring perfor-mance that is weighted to ensure continuing concern after flights miss their departure time.

A On time within 15 minutes Grade of 10B Late 16 to 30 minutes Grade of 7C Late 31 minutes to 1 hour Grade of 5D Late 1 hour + Grade of 1F Cancelled Grade of 0

An overall average grade by airline or route will give the traveler a much better awareness about actual airline performance. A vari-ant of the model could factor in flight length, airport difficulty and seasonal weather outlook.

STEP 2. Mandate that on-time performance statistics be made available to consumers at the point of purchase so that it can become a point of selection during the trip planning process. This would require that flight performance ratings be shown on consumer internet sites not just on the travel agent displays, as is currently required for “on-time %”. All travel documents, itineraries and e-tickets would have to include this information.

STEP 3. Hold airlines accountable for maintaining acceptable per-formance levels. Rather than assessing a surcharge for flying during

i n t h e N E W S

MEMBERS

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New Feature

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peak hours, penalize them for poor execution. If they are unable to meet an acceptable performance (and the determination of what is acceptable is something that carriers can help establish), they should risk losing flight slots. Conversely, airlines running smoother operations should be allowed a greater number of prime time slots.

STEP 4. Encourage airlines to move flights to regional airports by reducing peak hour slots at congested facilities. In the New York area, this would be a shift towards Stewart/Newburgh and McArthur/Islip. Similar opportunities exist throughout the country. This will improve airline performance without increasing ticket prices.

What this essentially boils down to is allowing airlines to react in the interest of their bottom line without penalizing travelers. It will put the focus back on customer service and force carriers to endeavor to do a better job. By allowing consumers to make an up-front, educated decision with the aid of historic delay patterns for a particular rout-ing and carrier, they will have the power to choose a flight not solely based on ticket price but on performance.

Sure, advanced GPS for aircraft and improvements in flight control computer systems are needed but they are expensive and a distant solution that will not alleviate the current crisis. Taken together they are no substitute for innovative management with thoughtful government oversight to protect the traveling public.

About Vincent E. VittiVincent E. Vitti is chairman and CEO of Directravel, a corporate travel management company that provides leading-edge business travel solu-tions and innovations to its clients. Vitti is responsible for directing the company’s strategic development and technology innovation. Directravel is one of the top ten largest business travel companies in the United States, according to Business Travel News.

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Meet Our StaffOur Staff

akausanS Scheideler

Charlietravel agent

Charlie has been a travel agent for 22 years. The early years of her career were with small local agencies that handled primarily leisure travel. In the leisure agency environment, she worked her way up from agent to office management. She worked for SATO Travel at Dover Air Force Base, in Delaware during the early 1990’s when our military was returning from Desert Storm. While there, Charlie received several letters of commendation for the high level of customer service she provided to our returning troops. She was transferred to the SATO office at Lakehurst Naval Weapons Station in New Jersey and has lived there ever since. Charlie transitioned into the corporate travel arena in 1997, and has thoroughly enjoyed the transition. Her corporate travel career began as a reservation agent. She was promoted to 2nd shift Lead Quality Control Agent and stayed in that position for 2 years. She took a 4 year hiatus after her first son was

born and became a stay at home mom. When she decided it was time to return to work, she signed on with Hickory! Charlie can now enjoy spending time with her children during the day and working in the industry that she loves during the evening hours. Charlie describes this arrangement as “having my cake and eating it too!” She truly enjoys her work and the fact that Hickory allows her the work life balance that she and her family can enjoy. During her tenure with Hickory, Charlie has been one of our most highly commended agents; she has already received 5 complimentary letters from travelers this year! Charlie has been married for 9 years and now has 2 sons, ages 8 and 5. In her free time, when she isn’t chauffeuring her sons to Karate class, she is active with the PTA and is a class mom at her younger son’s elementary school. She and her family live on the Jersey shore and love to spend time at the beach and boardwalk, or on their boat.

If your agency is doing something innovative or newsworthy that you would like share with other Hickory members, please contact Denise Coraggiodcoraggio@hickorytravelsystems.com 1-800-448-0350 x3106

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Hickory Travel Systems

Park 80 Plaza East - Saddle Brook, NJ 07663-5291- 800-546-9616 - www.hickorytravelsystems.com