Communications

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As discussed in a previous blog post the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) is under a lot of pressure to implement a program to alleviate unnecessary screenings for trusted and respected travelers. As the TSA works tirelessly on finding a way to create an adequate and efficient traveler trust program, a few articles have already started hinting at some of the procedures and processes involved with the programs logistics. The concept that we have come to know is a 3-tier approach to security. Travelers are classified as either a Trusted Traveler, Regular or Risk.

According to an article posted on Flying with Fish (a blog about flying) the 3-tier program works like this:

The Trusted Travelers, would be those who submit to a complete background check, much like those under the previous Registered Traveler program, and similar to the current Global Entry program that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (US CBP)has in place at international airports. US CBP’s Global Entry program allows those who have undergone a background check to bypass the lines at passport control and use a kiosk to enter the country.   With the TSA’s projected Trusted Traveler program, a traveler who has been verified would receive a ‘lighter’ search,  use a walk-through-metal-detector instead of an Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) scanner and in theory be able to keep their shoes on and their laptop in the bag.”

A “Regular” traveler would undergo the standard security procedures in place today.

A “Risk” traveler would receive a more thorough search of their clothing, baggage and potentially be asked a series of questions.

However, many are skeptical of this approach and feel a lot of roads need to be crossed in order for it to be an adequate and safe system. The same article goes through multiple steps that need to be addressed before a new program is implemented:

• Being able to positively identify each traveler and matching them to their boarding pass
• “IT issues associated with having a live stream of data of all passenger information coming into each and every TSA checkpoint.”
• IT-Hardware needs – “hardware needs a budget of hundreds of millions of dollars … something the TSA does not presently have in its budget.”
• Logistics – “The physical altering of security checkpoints at airports to allow for the three-tier screening to be carried out.”

And of course, “Who would perform the passenger background checks for the Trusted Traveler system and who would determine a ‘Regular’ vs ‘Risk’ passenger?”  The “Who?” and “Where?” seem to be the biggest issues – government agency or independent contractors? How will the information be secured? How will it be payed for?

These questions and many more are on everyone’s minds considering the TSA has yet to answer any of these questions. It is only a matter of time before any of this becomes a “TSA just talks” game.

Be sure to keep reading the Sundance Vacations blog as we are going to update you as information is released.

Source: http://boardingarea.com/blogs/flyingwithfish/2011/02/10/can-the-tsa-create-a-viable-trusted-traveler-program/

In order to be transparent and open, we decided to crawl the web in search of actual customer experiences with Sundance Vacations. We found an experience that dates back a few years but is completely unbiased so we thought we would publish it for our clients and potential clients…

Registered Online with the certificate on July 31, 2007

August 8, 2007: I received a letter in my email for the $50.00 deposit remittance coupon. Then a letter was also written by Spirit on August 1, 2007 (received 8/9/07) and sent to my home regarding the deposit and confirming my initial registration with the certificate. The letter also stated that I had one year to use the certificate from the date of registration. I mailed deposit that day.

August 16, 2007: Received a letter from Spirit confirming receipt of my deposit. In the letter, it provides you with a link/website to visit to begin the vacation selection process. It stated that once I picked my dates and Spirit received them, then a travel consultant would call me within 21 days. The letter also explained the option of upgrading the trip. Additional nights, upgraded hotel accommodations, and expanded airline schedules. I immediately went online and submitted my selected travel dates.

1.You must select a dates between Sunday and Wednesday only.
2.Once you put in the first date, the system then narrows your options further.

I started with October 21st -23rd of 2007 (not my preferred date, but started there)
Then computer asked me to pick between December 2-4th, 9th-11th and January
6th-8th, 13th-15th, and also some dates in February. So they give you dates to choose.
I was pleased because I initially wanted to go on the trip Jan 6th-8th to begin with.

Then, I was told that a representative would call me regarding my travel arrangements within 21 days. I spoke to someone on September 10, 2007. We talked about availability and cost. They told me they had my January dates available for me. At that moment, she said I had to book right then and there and be prepared to pay as well, but I was not. I had something important going on at work, and could not stay on the line for 30 minutes. They ask you if you have 20-30 minutes to wait around while they check availability. She then told me I would have to call the customer service department when ready to book.

I called at least once a week from late September 2007 on, until November 20th, 2007 when “Elaine” called me at my work number. She asked me if I had the 20-30 minutes to talk with her and I accepted, due to the fact that I did not receive a call back for a long time before and wanted to finalize the trip. This process was the only difficulty. It took longer than expected for someone to get back to me.

First, she went over the taxes of the trip and then the upgrade options: additional nights, expanded airline options, and upgraded hotel accommodations. She said if you upgrade to an additional night, including rearranging the airline flight, it would be an extra $125.00 person. That price included the additional night as well as a changed flight. Then the taxes, which we do not disclose from our customers, are always anywhere from $45-65.00 a person.

If you chose not to upgrade, she told me, you would only have to pay $132.16 for the airline taxes of the trip. I said that would be fine, let’s book January 6th-8th, 2008. She then asks you to hold so she can book everything. I was on hold about 10 minutes. She came back and told me my flight information:

Depart DAY on 1/6/08 @ 7:03pm, Arrive in Atlanta @ 8:38pm, Leave Atlanta @ 9:20pm,
Arrive in Orlando @ 10:24pm. (So you get there on first day late at night).

Depart Orlando @ 6:00am on 1/8/08, Arrive in Atlanta @ 7:27am,
Leave Atlanta @ 8:15am, Arrive in Dayton @ 9:44am.

The Hotel in Orlando would be the Ramada Plaza Gateway

I put her on hold to speak with someone regarding the trip. At that point, I wanted to see what the cost of upgrading and what it entails would be. So you only actually get less than one day in Orlando, if you have to be at the airport by 4:00 am.

Cost of upgrade: $312.00. This included extra night in hotel, and much better flight times(3 full nights in hotel, and perfect flight times for us). This cost included the “airline taxes and all other fees as well.” New Schedule would be as follows:

Depart DAY on 1/6/08 @ 8:05am Arrive in MCO (Orlando) @ 10:11am.
Depart MCO on 1/9/08 @ 6:22pm, Arrive in DAY @ 8:25pm.

The Hotel would also be the Ramada Gateway Kissimmee(one mile from Disney)

Accepted upgrade, received an email from “Elaine Garcia” at Spirit Incentives that day with all of my travel confirmations: A Confirmation from Air Tran Airways, and the Ramada which I was to print off and take with me. A few days before the trip I called Air Tran to confirm my flight, and all was set. I did the same with the Hotel and all was set as well.

If you are paying airline taxes anyway ranging from $60-100+ a person, why not upgrade for just one more hundred dollars to make it more memorable. Everything went smoothly.

The hotel (Ramada Gateway Kissimmee) was very nice for what I was paying and how many nights we ended up staying. There were a few pools, game rooms, 2 restaurants, shuttle service to the parks, and other restaurants and activities close by. Disney was less than a mile from hotel. My advise would be to upgrade if you can. It was well worth it.

Spirit was very accommodating after that point as well. The back of the certificates are key. I have read the terms and conditions on these several times, if people read them, and follow the instructions word for word this is simple.

According to an article posted on the New York Times website this week, tough airport screening procedures may get a face lift. After much scrutiny over security check point screenings at airports many different organizations (U.S. Travel Association and International Air Transport Association were specifically quoted) are proposing new procedures be put in place to give certain travelers the right to bypass those annoying and sometimes very intrusive airport screenings.

The article states that, “A crucial part of the group’s ‘checkpoint of the future’ proposal, and similar plans under discussion by other industry organizations, is creating a trusted traveler program that would allow passengers to undergo a background check to gain access to an expedited security lane at the airport.” The article goes on to say that travelers that want to be apart of the program will have to go through an application process, which will have certain fees attached to it, but in the end the travelers that are approved will be clear from the intrusive airport screenings.

Even though there are proposals on the table, the risks are not very far away. The fact that every country is different and has their own needs and resources, costs associated with making travelers feel safe and the ability to keep a certain level of privacy and protection of individual rights are all concerns that make changing the current procedures a long process. Making sure every “t” is crossed and “i” is dotted is a big deal when it comes to airport security.

While there are risks about creating a program like this; John Pistole, head of the TSA (Transportation Security Administration), is open to ideas and understands the need for a trusted travelers program. A spokesman from the TSA said, “If people have ideas, [John Pistole] wants to hear them because he’s looking at ways to make changes.” Robert Poole, director of transportation policy at the Reason Foundation finished the article by being quoted saying, “For the first time since 9/11, I think we have the conditions where it might be politically possible to have a serious debate about [airport security]”

Read the full article here – http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/business/08security.html?_r=1

Despite travel falling as the largest target for fraud, the industry still deals with it on a daily basis with thousands of people ending up being the victims of credit card fraud. In order to prevent fraud from happening to you while you are on vacation, we put together a researched list of tips that can help you avoid credit card fraud:

• Use only one credit card while traveling.
• Keep a second one close by but in a safe place just in case the credit card you are using gets stolen.
• Keep all receipts!
• Check your credit card statements daily (even when you get home too!)
• Verfiy every purchase or charge made on your credit card.
• If you become the victim of credit card fraud, call the credit card issuer immediately! You most likely will not be held responsible for the attack.

The most important thing is to know what is being charged at all times and to verify those purchases. The sooner you know that fraud was committed the faster you can prevent any more fraudulent charges from happening.

An article was recently published on USA Today Travel titled “Three reasons why airfares are likely to rise” about exactly that – rising airfares! David Grossman, author of the article, writes “According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the average domestic airfare (excluding checked luggage and other ancillary fees paid after ticketing) jumped 13% from $301 to $341 in the second quarter of 2010 vs. the previous year. That $341 fare was 3.8% more than the previous quarter and represented the fourth consecutive quarterly fare increase.” This fact alone is scary but the article goes on to discuss reasons why airfares are rising which include: capacity cuts and rising demand, prolonged period of higher oil prices and changing business models for low-cost airlines. It may be obvious that there are more reasons as well but for the sake of the article the author only discussed three. Anyway whatever the case may be it does not look like travelers have much of an option when controlling fees or at least getting fairly cheaper rates than before.

However, as a wholesale travel provider Sundance Vacations offers bulk vacation packages that make saving on vacations similar to the way people save when they buy a case of soda instead of a can. Because of this increase in airfares, budget conscious travelers are seeking cheaper travel alternatives to help them save. In fact, last summer when prices originally spiked we saw a considerable jump in demand for drive to destinations and we predict the same for this summer as well.

Sundance Vacations has a lot of destinations on the east coast in areas such as the Jersey shore, Ocean City, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina and Hilton Head – all of which are within a days drive from any one of our east coast sales offices. When it costs double to fly anymore, consider driving to a Sundance Vacations destination – where you not only save on getting there but you save on the overall vacation as well.

Some of our customers have questions about a document found on the web published by the State of New Jersey as required.  This official paper documents the close of an inquiry by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.

What does this document mean?

The mission of the consumer affairs division is to investigate consumer complaints and enforce various laws including do not call regulations. We completely cooperated with a several year investigation of our marketing, sales and business practices.  Over the course of several conversations we were able to give the division a clear understanding of the size and history of the company.  We’ve been servicing the vacation needs of New Jersey travelers for 14 years.  Sundance Vacations provides well paying, professional jobs as an employer in the state.  Our hard-working employees live by our core value to give back to the community by participating in many charity events as volunteers and by supporting local charities with funding.

In May of 2010 we came to a satisfactory conclusion of the division’s inquiry.  The document that can be found on the state of New Jersey’s website is a summary of their findings.  Sundance Vacations was not charged with any violations.  No fines were levied.  The document was released to public as all state documents are as a result of the Freedom of Information Act and serves as information about the validity of the inquiry.

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs protects the business environment for reputable businesses to operate in New Jersey.  An active agency is a benefit to consumers and businesses alike.

The document can be downloaded in full at this address: http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/ocp/orders/Sundance.pdf

If there are any questions, concerns or issues please contact Sundance Vacations customer service department at 1-888-257-8400.

Every once in a while TAN receives a testimonial that really touches our hearts… just in September TAN received the following from a long-time client:

September 19, 2010

Dear folks at TAN,

The purpose of this letter is to tell you all how impressed I am with your organization. I spent the week of September 10^th through the 17^th in Branson, Missouri at the Eagle’s Nest Resort at Indian Point and I couldn’t have had a better stay, unless the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders were staying next door but anyway it was a week to remember!

My wife, Maryann, and I purchased [this vacation program] for when we both retired. But the old saying goes, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” Maryann died last October.

My squad from Vietnam and I have remained in touch all this time and from time to time over the years have gathered to remember our buddies who didn’t make it, and to share time together.

There were approximately eight guys and one woman who attended this reunion. We learned that our friend Doc had recently undergone surgery for cancer and would have to undergo chemo when he got back. His wife very much wanted him to have a good time, and boy, did he.

Where I saw the condos we were to stay in, and met the nice people at the Eagle’s Nest I was thrilled. After a great time I had at the resort and the fantastic treatment I received from the TAN folks, I am ready to give a testimonial any time you want. The condos were much better than staying in a hotel. Every one told me what a great time they had and what a hero I was for arranging it, but I give all the credit to TAN. I still have six more chances to stay with you and am really looking forward to it.

On behalf of all my Corpsmen I want to thank you all for a trip that we will all remember.

Sincerely,
Bob Martin

P.S. Our other Corpsman would have been here but he designs golf courses and was in China. When he hears what a great time we had, he’ll be at the next one I’m sure. My wife would have loved it!

At Sundance Vacations, we do everything in our power to inform our customers of certain fees that are not prepaid with the initial vacation package purchase. We provide informative group or individual presentations for all prospective clients. During each presentation, the non-prepaid fees are made apparent and very clear. The fees are also written on a large white board by the presenter during the presentation in front of the room. Of course, the fees are also disclosed in the contract but we also recap all of the fees in a straightforward one- page summary of the contract called the Consumer Disclosure Acknowledgment. This one page summary makes it very easy for our customers to review pertinent details at a glance.

In order to provide the most for our customers, we decided to create an informational blog post on the types and costs associated with each fee. This information will also be located on our website.

There are 4 fees that are not prepaid. These fees are paid to Travel Advantage Network (TAN) by the traveler when they use the vacations:

1. Annual service charge – $29.92 month ($359.00 yearly). Many products and services have annual service fees similar to credit cards, country clubs, and gyms. Our service charge can be paid annually or monthly at the convenience of our client.
2. Processing Fee – $99.00. Clients pay a processing fee each time they make a reservation
3. Peak Season Upgrade – $30.00/night. Clients purchase a standard package and only pay this fee when they travel during our peak season time.
4. Additional Bedroom Upgrade – $30.00/night. Client may request a larger unit for an additional fee.

“Why are there extra fees?”
Have you traveled to the beach during summer, or taken a winter ski trip to the mountains? Were you distressed at the inflated or gouged rates charged during those peak travel times? Often times these rates will be double or triple the cost of a trip during off season. Our fee structure caps the amount you pay per night when vacationing during our prime/peak season.

“Why do I need to pay for an extra room?”
Have you ever needed more than one hotel room to accommodate your family? Impersonal hotels charge full price for each accommodation and give you identical rooms connected by double locked doors. Sundance clients may upgrade to a two or even three-bedroom suite (each extra bedroom sleeps two additional people) and the cost is only $30.00 per night for each additional bedroom. Because buying an additional hotel room can sometimes be well over $100 a night, we view this $30.00/night fee as one of the great benefits to our travel service.

Fees, How they Benefit Our Clients
We do not incur every expense upfront, so we don’t charge them upfront. Our clients can hold onto their money longer, and only pay fees when they are incurred. Because we collect fees, the corporation always has an incentive to fulfill vacation requests. Collecting revenue over time through this fee structure ensures the company a positive revenue stream. As a result, the fee structure functions as a built in protection for our clients.

Spirit Airlines thinks this is acceptable. What do you think? Sure it frees up the security lines a little bit and helps the lines move quicker but at what cost?  Spirit Airlines is charging $30  for those that pay in advance and $45 for passengers who wait until they get to the boarding gate to pay. Apparently Spirit offers the lowest prices compared to the rest of the airlines and they feel that the fees are not that big of a deal.

This new revenue model that airlines are putting into effect is one way to cut off the amount of bags passengers bring with them. One wonders if this will cause passengers to go to other airlines that do not charge a fee.  Do you think it will catch on with the bigger airline companies? Or will this be a blunder that goes down in the Spirit Airlines’ record  books? Post your opinions and comments below.

Check here to watch the news story to hear what other customers had to say Spirit Airlines News Story