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Restaurant Loyalty Rewards for the Business Traveler
March 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Wining and dining at a suitable business restaurant can be as important as knocking that pitch out of the park. And what could be better than receiving rewards while doing so. Better still would be if your favorite restaurant was everywhere you do business and offered loyalty rewards valid at all of their geographic locations. But we are not quite there yet.
Many independent restaurants have started offering loyalty programs but the same has not been true for most chain restaurants. Randolph Hobler notes that of the top 130 restaurant chains in the United States only 5%, have loyalty programs. There is a great need to remedy this as illustrated in a 2004 study by the National Restaurant Association where 50% of table-service customers said they would be more likely to patronize a restaurant that had a loyalty program. The loyalty program at the Fifth Group Restaurants of Atlanta, for example, yielded 17% more spending by its members than before they joined the program. It would benefit chain restaurants to follow in these footsteps and many may do so in the future.
The purpose of a loyalty program is to discover who the restaurant's customers are and to find out their preferences in order to better cater to the customer. The perception is that there is a high upfront cost to implement these programs even though this does not have to be the case. Some loyalty programs don't offer discounts but instead a focus on improving a member’s experience through guaranteed reservations or preferred seating. For now a great way to go are airline and credit card dining rewards like NWA's Dining for Miles. As more restaurants realize that customers are demanding the highest quality experience, service, and convenience at the best prices the adoption of loyalty rewards will surely increase.
Luggage for the Road Warrior
March 23, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The new TSA carry-on requirements and the seemingly ever more vicious fight for overhead space can make your luggage of paramount importance. The search for luggage of the perfect size, weight, and color to get you to your destination with the greatest of ease continues. Being picky about your luggage is nothing to be ashamed of, as it can make the difference in your travel experience. Fortunately we are getting closer to that elusive balance between style and function. Samsonite Spinners Series 700 expandable luggage proves four wheels are better than two and makes being a souvenir hog more manageable with expandable compartments just right for all of your stuff. Less fashionable but more functional is eBags’ own Mother Lode Mini. As far as stores go, Flight 001 was recently featured as a trendy shopping destination on NY1 News and was given a high rating in the Zagat Guide. It’s good to see they are doing their part to keep luggage and travel accessories colorful, innovative, and stylish.
Tournament Hotels
March 20, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Get ready basketball fans, the madness continues this weekend! How is your bracket holding up? Later this week the Sweet Sixteen begins and by the end of the weekend, we'll be down to the Final Four. If you have tickets or are looking to get tickets, you may need a place to stay while in town for the games. Extended Stay Hotels has locations at the South Regionals in San Antonio, TX, the East Regionals in East Rutherford, NJ, the West Regionals in San Jose, CA, and the Midwest Regionals in St Louis, Missouri. Take a look and plan your trip.
Wherever you're watching the games this weekend, sit back and enjoy!
Jet Blue Cancels Flights
March 16, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Jet Blue has cancelled 215 flights in advance of the winter weather headed up the East Coast. So if you are scheduled to fly on Jet Blue soon, be sure to check the flight status. And if you are flying on any airline in this area, you may also want to call and see if you will be flying as scheduled. On one hand, Jet Blue is being careful not to repeat their earlier mistake. On the other hand, they may be going overboard, cancelling flights so many flights far in advance of the storm. Only time will tell. In the meantime, take this into consideration when preparing for any upcoming flights.
Hotel Floor 13
March 13, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
USA Today had an interesting bit of trivia a few days ago. It looks like you might have a room on floor #13 for your next hotel stay. For years, floors have been numbered without 13 due to the bad luck associated with the number, but that trend is being reversed. New hotels are including this floor and most Americans in a survey noted that they were perfectly comfortable pressing button 13 in a hotel elevator.
International Trips
March 12, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
There has been a modification to the recent North America passport requirements which will make it easier for children to cross the border. If children 15 or under are traveling with a parent or with an adult-supervised club trip, they will only need copies of their birth certificates to travel to Canada or Mexico. If traveling by air, a passport is still required. This is a change to the scheduled regulation of all passports for all people going over the border via land, sea, or air by 2008. This will make it easier for family trips and taking kids on business trips to Canada in the future.
Airplane Seats
March 9, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
We all know there are good seats and bad seats on an airplane, and we've all had a bad seat before, but how can you avoid this? Unfortunately, there's no way to know where the crying baby is going to be but there are some ways to make sure you have the most leg room possible, even if you're in coach.
Look up the plane online so you know exactly what seats are where. The closer to the front of the plane is usually better. Book your tickets about a month in advance so that you get a seat assignment upon purchase. Otherwise you just get a reserved "to be assigned" seat. If this happens, call the airline and see if you can book a seat. Also, some airlines let you call in the morning of your flight to check in. See if you can do this. The best seats, the exit row seats, can only be given out in person at the airport. So if you're after more leg room and no kids in the row, you will have to check in early. No matter when you check in, just ask. You never know when an exit row seat will be available. All these steps can help ensure that you get a window, an aisle, or whichever you prefer. If you don't, consider asking a fellow passenger to switch. The worst they can say is no.
Happy Travels!
March Madness
March 5, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
It's March again, which means the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is just around the corner. For basketball fans who have tickets, there are still hotel rooms to be had in the various tournament locations. If you don't have tickets, that's alright too because they are still on sale for a number of the events.
For the first and second rounds, March 15th through 18th, the games will be in Buffalo, New York, Lexington, Kentucky, Sacramento, California, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Chicago, Illinois, Columbus, Ohio, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Spokane, Washington. Click on any of these locations to see the nearby Extended Stay Hotels destinations and make your reservations.
This weekend, look for the teams competing, fill out your brackets, and start making plans for the opening rounds. Then be sure to visit here again for information on hotel accommodations for future rounds.
Airport Shortcuts
March 2, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
When the seatbelt light goes off, you're stuck on the plane until the line moves. But once you step off the plane, you can speed up your airport experience and go on your way sooner. First, use this time to practice your speed walking, especially if you need to go through customs and passport control. These are some of the longest lines at airports today and one plane load of people can take a long time to go through. Avoiding restroom stops or delays until after you get through this process can shave an hour or more off of your wait. And of course, having only carry-on luggage can help. If you're headed to a transfer, print out a map of the airport ahead of time. You can find the right airport here. That way, you can shave off time and know where you're headed. If you have arrived at your final destination, it's also important to walk purposefully to the taxi line so that you're not behind the rest of your plane. There may be lots of time to kill on the other side of the flight, but once you are off the plane, that time is yours. Don't spend more of it in the airport than you have to.
Business Dinner
March 1, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
When going out for a business dinner, good conversation is key. But another component is impressively good food. A memorable dining experience can help to make a great first impression. And how better to impress than going to a restaurant serving the hottest new dishes? Many restaurants have their menus online, so you can take a peak at what's in store even if you haven't been there yet. And when looking for the best choice, a recent article on culinary travel has spotted a number of trends. Some of the up and coming items to keep an eye out for are flatbreads, grass-fed poultry, and bite-sized desserts, according to this piece. Different cuisines such as Latin American and Mediterranean also score big points.
