New DOT Regulations Affect the Way We Advertise ~ Not our Commitment to You!

Client: Do you actually know the capital of Japan?

Travel Agent: Of course I do...'J'

I've been in the travel industry for over 20 years - yikes, that's a long time, but we all know how time flies when you're having fun!  While the above interaction may well have happened when I first came onto the travel scene, I must say I've learned a lot since then!  As long as I can remember it's been a frustration of most travel agents to receive a call from a client inquiring about the $49 advertised airfare to say, Las Vegas, only to have the final cost of the roundtrip ticket be more like $138.  Granted the fine print usually spells it out, we all know we don't always take the time to read it.  Over the years I've been called some crazy names by frustrated clients.  Most are saved for an office 'Happy Hour' where we get together and laugh about what has always been considered a 'Job Hazard'   (You know, we all have 'em...we just learn to live with 'em!)

Within the last few weeks, you may have noticed what seems like significant price increases on our website.  For the most part pricing has remained the same, however, the way we are displaying the pricing has changed. 

The change took effect on January 26 and was mandated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) in an effort to provide more transparency for the consumer related to travel costs. The change affects the air component in vacation packages and states all airline, government related taxes, and fuel surcharges must be included in the advertised price.

What’s not included in the new advertised pricing rules? Fees charged and payable to the airline for seat assignments and/or baggage fees, which can notably be a hefty add on to your travel cost. Also not included, are any entrance/departure taxes which may be charged at international airports and any resort fees which are payable directly to the hotel. Can you say confusing?  Sometimes even to us and we are the experts!

Allow me to explain.  In the past a $499 advertised price for an airline ticket to Paris would have been closer to $699 once all airline and government taxes were added.  A vacation package to Mexico would have been advertised at $899.  However, taxes could've been up to $150 resulting in an actual cost of $1049.  See what I mean?  While we welcome the change, we realize the sticker shock of new advertising rules will take some time getting used to.

Take cruising.  A typical Caribbean cruise has 'taxes and fees' of up to $300 per person!  Alaska cruises and Alaska Land/Sea vacations can have taxes and fees of up to $450!  All these additional costs has made advertising to our valued clients very challenging.  Although disclosing the additional costs related to cruises in the advertised price is not yet mandated by the DOT, we have made the decision to include them anyway so what you see is what you pay.  Our goal is to have our clients informed and comfortable with all costs involved in travel.  We hope to eliminate the confusion, the guessing games or any drastic difference in advertised fares and actual trip cost.  While there remain several variables that can affect pricing, such as travel dates, availability, etc., we are confident that using the same rules for all advertised travel will take the chore out of searching the fares and make for more realistic pricing.

Along with changing the way fares are advertised, the new rules bring other consumer-friendly changes. 

• Clients now have 24 hours to change or cancel a flight reservation without a fee as long as your flight does not depart within 7 days.
• Bans price increases once a ticket has been purchased.
• Requires that airlines must now disclose any baggage fees during online purchased and e-ticket confirmations.
• Airlines must provide prompt notification about flight cancellations, diversions or delays of more than 30 minutes.
• Passengers will be eligible for higher levels of compensation when 'bumped' from a flight.

For most of us in the industry, the change is a welcome one.  One thing that hasn't changed is our commitment to you! We'll continue to work for you, searching through fare sales and deals with a fine-tooth comb to find the best travel deals out there.  We'll continue to pass them along to you so you can buy with confidence.  So, although the prices you now see on our website and our 'Snooze You Lose' emails seem to have changed, rest assured we are still working hard to find the best deals for you, our esteemed client!

Until next time...

MTS Couples: Jessica and Brian

I just received some great wedding photos from a bride who recently returned from her January wedding in Punta Cana. The group stayed at the Majestic Colonial resort (which is a family-friendly property and all-inclusive) and loved it! I am so happy that they had a wonderful time and wish them the very best in married life! Here are a few snapshots she shared:

What a great family photo!

Love this one! Look at that water...

I thought her flowers were gorgeous!

<3 Congratulations!! <3

Thanks again for sharing Jessica and Brian~ We are so happy you enjoyed your trip!

Bridal Fair Trends & Bonus 'Today' Show Clip

As I mentioned earlier this week, Midwest Travel Service participated in the recent Wedding Fair event at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Besides meeting hundreds of brides and grooms to talk about honeymoon and destination wedding plans, we also love to scope out the wedding industry's latest trends. At this particular event I was able to capture some snapshots of the latest decor ideas, bridal fashions and cake designs... Here they are!

Alternate seating options are big right now! Other than conference and chiavari chairs, 

you can also rent sofas, leather booths (as shown above) and clear chairs 

(as shown below) to give your tables some character.

As illustrated in this photo and several of the snapshots below, 

intricate table settings and centerpieces are incredibly popular.

Notice the frilly linens! You'll see more of that at the next table as well:

Rather than traditional chaivari chair sashes, many decor companies are 

offering covers like the ones in this picture (and the next one too!):

This particular setup was my personal favorite- 

There's a lot more simplicity but still a pop of color and character.

Now onto the yummy portion... the cakes! As with table decor you'll notice that frills, swirls and intricate designs are incredibly popular right now. Monograms and use of the couple's initials are still commonly featured as well. 

Last but not least, here are some snapshots of the latest bridal gown trends. Ruching, layering and embellishments seem to be the hottest gown styles currently featured. Which is your fav?

So there you have it! There's a quick visual summary of what was featured at Twin City Bridal Association's latest bridal fair. We'll be sure to share more in both March and October when we attend again. It's always interesting to see how the styles change in such a short amount of time!

I wasn't planning on having more info to add to this blog, but I caught the following Today Show segment as I was enjoying my morning cup of coffee and I wanted to share! I love their discussion about the benefits of having a travel agent... We can help our clients locate the best values (and that it's not necessarily always about getting the very lowest price), we're there to back you up in case something minor (or heaven forbid, something major) goes awry during travel, and we can introduce new and exciting ideas that never would have been explored otherwise. Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuosa Travel Network makes a great point about how people hire financial advisors to take care of their money-- Why not also work with an advisor to help make the most of our valuable free time as well?! 

Resort Spotlight: Now Jade

What a busy weekend we had at Midwest Travel Service! As you know, The Wedding Fair was this past Sunday which always makes time fly. They'll be lots more to come on that topic later in the week when I post a photo-blog about the latest dress, floral and decor trends featured at the event. As always, it was great to connect with so many engaged ladies about their destination wedding and honeymoon plans!

Today I wanted to feature a really great family-friendly resort to kick of our 'Resort Spotlight' blog posts. Now Jade is an all-inclusive property located in Puerto Morelos, a quaint fishing town in the Riviera Maya. I love this location because it gets you out of Cancun but is still only about 20-25 minutes from the international airport. Here's a little map to show you exactly where it's located:

Now Jade is part of the Am Resorts brand which means that guests receive a lot(!) of fabulous all-inclusive amenities "without a wristband, and without an exception." Here's a list of the inclusions:

• Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks
• Bottomless fruit juices and soft drinks
• Top-shelf spirits and premium beer, whenever you like
• Hip, cozy suites with the latest gadgets, including flat screen TVs
• In-suite mini bar refreshed daily with soft drinks, bottled water and beer
• Gilchrist & Soames bath amenities
• Plush bathrobes and slippers
• 24-hour room service
• Pool and beach wait service
• Reservation-free gourmet restaurants
• Bars and lounges
• Endless daytime activities: deep sea diving*, golf*, kayaking, snorkeling, tennis, windsurfing* and more
• Nightly theme parties & live entertainment
• Explorer's Kids Club with supervised activities
• All taxes and gratuities
• * Available for an additional fee

Welcome to Now Jade. Here's the view as you step out of the main lobby doors.

An exterior view of the four-story buildings. All suites have wonderful pool, garden or ocean views.

I personally love the size of this resort. There are 550 suites, eight restaurants (including six which have  gourmet a la carte menus) and six bars and lounges. 550 suites may seem too big or like it would get crowded during the busiest times, but the layout of the property makes for a very comfortable experience. You don't need to take a shuttle from one end of the resort to the other, but you are still offered plenty of variety and places to explore. Here's a link to view detailed info on all of the delicious dining options. My personal fav? Cin Cin, the adults-only eatery which features Mediterranean cuisine and a rich and luxurious atmosphere:

Whether you're a pool-lover or more a fan of the ocean, Now Jade offers it all... A sun-drenched private beach overlooking the Caribbean water, comfortable lounging options- check out the ample amount of beach palapas below!, three swimming pools (one for all, one for adults-only and one shallow pool for the kids-only too!) and of course, a swim-up bar.  Here's a snapshot of all the options:

LOTS of space on the beach

Shallow pool for the kids

Grab a drink at the swim-up bar

I can't say enough about the comfortable accommodations at Now Jade. All rooms include a king bed or two double beds, a private balcony/terrace, a very roomy marble bathroom with double sinks and a dressing area, a jacuzzi for two and separate shower, alarm clock with iPod docking station, air conditioning, safety deposit box, in-room mini bar, flat screen with cable t.v. (by the way, many rooms have two tv's- one in the bedroom and one in the living area), a coffee maker, work desk, direct-dial phone, etc. Family suites are of course available as well if you need to house a larger clan.

My favorite part about these beds? The soft sheets! :)

Plush robes and slippers in every room

Here's the separate living area with a couch, desk, tv, entrance to the patio, etc. Notice the great welcome gift on the table: fresh fruit and a bottle of champagne!

Peek into the bathroom and closet area - So much storage space for a larger family here!

Our particular room was located in the Preferred Club section, which means it came with additional amenities you can read about here. This was definitely a nice add-on but truthfully, you would have a fabulous time at this resort regardless of whether this was in the budget or not. A couple Preferred Club aspects I enjoyed were our outdoor jacuzzi on the balcony and the complimentary internet access.

A morning view overlooking the pool and ocean from our balcony

In case you haven't guessed, I absolutely plan to return to Now Jade in the future! I really liked the balanced size of the resort, the all-inclusive amenities and comfortable rooms, the a la carte dining options (rather than serving exclusively buffet-style) and the great mix of beach lounging options + pool areas. The affordable and fair pricing of this resort is truly the icing on the cake! If you'd like to receive rates for a particular set of dates, email me anytime at christina@midwesttravelservice.com and I'd be happy to help!

So loyal MTS blog readers, what did you think of our very first 'Resort Spotlight' blog? Does it make you feel more familiarized with this particular property? I sure hope so! There are LOTS more to come...