- Courtesy of The Lawyers' Travel Service March 10, 2010 In This Issue...
	PROPOSED PASSPORT FEE HIKES DRAW IRE
	WHAT THE AIRLINES OWE YOU
	3-HOUR RULE READY TO BECOME REALITY
	AIRLINES IMPROVED ON-TIME PERFORMANCE IN JANUARY
	THE LAWYERS' TRAVEL SERVICE PREFERRED HOTEL PARTNERS PROGRAM
	- INTERCONTINENTAL STEPHEN F. AUSTIN, Austin
	- THE MICHELANGELO, New York City
	- OCEANA SANTA MONICA, Los Angeles
	- OMNI CHICAGO , Chicago
	- THE WESTIN CHARLOTTE, Charlotte - THE WESTIN GRAND , Washington, DC

PROPOSED PASSPORT FEE HIKES DRAW IRE
(source: CNN.com)

Get ready to open your wallet a little wider to satisfy your travel bug: It may soon cost more to apply for a new U.S. passport or renew an old one.

The State Department is proposing fee hikes that would require adults applying for their first passport book to pay $135 -- a 35 percent increase from the current $100 fee.

The cost of the wallet-size passport card, which Americans can use on certain trips closer to home, would rise from $45 to $55 for first-time applicants.

Want to add more visa pages to your passport book? It's free now, but you would have to shell out $82 under the proposed fee schedule.

The renewal fee for passport books would rise to $110 -- up from the current $75.

Officials recommended the hikes after a study found the current fee structure wasn't covering the government's costs for the services, the State Department said in the proposal outlined in the Federal Register.

"All of the increased security and the anti-fraud measures added to passports in recent years come at a cost," said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services Brenda Sprague during a news briefing at the State Department on Wednesday.

"The cost of the passport book includes the cost of maintaining our presence overseas to assist American citizens," Sprague added.

The State Department intends to implement the proposed fee hikes "as soon as practicable" after it considers feedback from the public, but Sprague said the fees probably would not go into effect before April.


WHAT THE AIRLINES OWE YOU
(source: WSJ.com)

Schedule Changes
Your Rights: If an airline changes its schedule and the new flight it offers isn't acceptable, your only recourse is to get a full refund and try to buy a ticket on another airline. The airline doesn't have to book you on a competing carrier.

Flight Cancellation
Your Rights: If your flight gets canceled because of an airline problem (not weather), the airline has to provide accommodations if you are away from home. Airlines don't have to rebook you on a competing airline—just on their next flight with available seats.

Long Delays
Your Rights: There is no compensation for long delays on domestic flights, even if the delay causes hardship like missing a connection or important event. The European Union requires compensation to passengers for long delays in some cases. Beginning April 29, U.S. airlines must provide food and water if a flight sits on the tarmac for more than two hours.

Lost Luggage
Your Rights: Airlines must cover temporary expenses if your luggage doesn't show up on your flight. If your bag never turns up, you have to file a claim, with receipts if possible. The airline determines the value of your belongings. Airline liability is capped by U.S. law at $3,300 per passenger, and about $1,500 per passenger by international treaty, unless you declare excess value ahead of time.

Medical Illness
Your Rights: There is no requirement that airlines refund or change tickets. Even a doctor's note typically won't exempt you from airline change fees or cancellation penalties. You may be able to wrangle some goodwill from carriers, however, especially if you have elite frequent-flier status.

Bumped From Flight
Your Rights: If you are involuntarily denied boarding and can't get to where you are going on another flight arriving within one hour of your scheduled arrival time, airlines must provide you compensation plus transportation to your destination. The airline may want to give you a voucher for future flights, but you can demand cash. If you won't arrive at your destination more than two hours later than your original schedule for domestic flights (four hours for international), the airline must pay you double your fare for that flight (one-way) up to an $800 maximum.


3-HOUR RULE READY TO BECOME REALITY
(source: MSNBC.com)

The clock is ticking on the three-hour rule.

Starting next month, air travelers will get something they've never had before: regulatory protection against tarmac delays of three hours or longer.

Announced by the Department of Transportation (DOT) last December, the new rule runs 81 pages and seeks to enhance airline passenger protections on several fronts. It takes effect April 29.

The heart of the regulations deals with extended tarmac delays and mandates that passengers on domestic flights be allowed to disembark after three hours (provided doing so doesn't create a safety or security issue or interfere with airport operations). The fines for violating the rule are as high as $27,500 per passenger, which works out to $3 million or more for a stranded 737.

According to government statistics, 1,173 planes with passengers onboard were stuck on the ground for three hours or more last year. Among the most notorious examples — and the fuse that got DOT fired up — was the stranding of an ExpressJet flight in Rochester, Minn., in August. That mishap, which left 47 passengers onboard overnight, resulted in a fine of $175,000.

High-profile incidents aside, however, the number of passengers stranded for three hours or more is exceedingly small, one reason the airline industry opposes a "hard" limit. According to John Meenan, chief operating officer for the Air Transport Association, "just 0.014 percent of flights experienced delays of three hours or more ... that's one in 7,143 flights."

At this point, DOT is only requiring that airlines have contingency plans in place. But, says DOT spokesman Bill Mosley, "We're considering another rule that would require airlines to submit their plans to the Department for review." The goal, he says, is to issue a proposed rule in June, along with new proposals on better disclosure of baggage fees and total fares.


AIRLINES IMPROVED ON-TIME PERFORMANCE IN JANUARY
(source: USA Today)

U.S. airlines' on-time arrival performance improved in January, according to monthly federal data released Tuesday, March 9.

The 18 largest carriers reported that 78.7% of their flights arrived on time in January, better than both January 2009's 77% and December 2009's 72%, according to the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Flights are considered on time if they arrive within 15 minutes of schedule.

The report says nearly 40% of the delays were directly or indirectly attributable to weather, including factors such as cancellations, aviation system delays and late-arriving aircraft.

Hawaiian Airlines, which flies mostly among the Hawaiian islands, once again posted the highest on-time performance with 86.7%. Among larger carriers, Alaska Airlines had the highest, at 85.8%. It was followed by United Airlines, which posted 83.7%, Frontier at 83.2%, Continental at 82.3% and Delta, which posted 81.4%.

There were 23 flights with tarmac delays of three hours or more, including two that exceeded four hours. Still, it was better than December, when airlines stranded 35 flights on the tarmac for three or more hours.

Other findings from the report:

•Cancellations. The airlines canceled 12,800 flights out of 522,000 they operated in January, or down slightly from 14,700 in December.

•Mishandled baggage. U.S. carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 4.62 reports per 1,000 passengers in January, better than both January 2009's 5.31 rate and December 2009's 5.18 mark.

THE LAWYERS' TRAVEL SERVICE PREFERRED HOTEL PARTNERS PROGRAM
INTERCONTINENTAL STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
701 Congress Avenue
Austin

The InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel is a historic Austin icon located in the heart of one of America's most culturally vibrant cities. Within the hotel, travelers will find world class dining, complimentary health facilities, and 6000 sq ft of banquet/meeting space. A preferred downtown Austin hotel among the local business community, the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel is only three blocks from the State Capitol Building, one block from the Austin entertainment district and only one block to most downtown law firms. The concierge will also guide guests to the best hidden gems in restaurants, shopping, theatre, sporting and cultural events in this exciting city.

The Lawyers' Travel Service Preferred Hotel Partners Program rate at the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin is $179 through May 31, 2010 (compared to a corporate rates of $199).*

THE LAWYERS' TRAVEL SERVICE PREFERRED HOTEL PARTNERS PROGRAM
THE MICHELANGELO
152 West 51st Street
New York City

The Michelangelo Hotel is recognized by Travel & Leisure Magazine as one of the top 500 "Greatest Hotels of the World" and has been placed on the 'Gold List' for the "Best Place to stay in the whole world" by Condé Nast Traveler.

Envision a place that captures the imagination and attention of the world. The moment one enters one will feel like the honored guest of a devoted Italian host. Surrounded by oil paintings, crystal chandeliers and cherished antique furnishings, guests might think they have arrived in Florence or Venice.

The interiors reflect an Old World approach to guests' every pleasure and comfort. The lobby and multilingual staff set the tone. The lobby showcases rich Venetian and Florentine fabrics, lighting fixtures inspired by Roman cathedral torcheres and woodwork adapted from original Renaissance period designs.

The Lawyers' Travel Service Preferred Hotel Partners Program rate at The Michelangelo Hotel is $238 (compared to a corporate rate of $258).*

THE LAWYERS' TRAVEL SERVICE PREFERRED HOTEL PARTNERS PROGRAM
OCEANA SANTA MONICA
849 Ocean Avenue
Los Angeles

Oceana Santa Monica is for creative, independent, successful business people or leisure travelers who enjoy going to places of their own, and opt for discretion, intimacy and comfort in an unhurried and more upscale neighborhood of Santa Monica. Oceana was one of Condé Nast Traveller's 2008 Hot List honorees-the only LA hotel that year. Located across the street from Palisades Park, minutes from the Pacific Ocean, and touching Montana Avenue, this Santa Monica neighborhood will make guests feel right at home. Immerse in the sophistication of Oceana, where the full sunshine and airy nature of Santa Monica is brought into guests very own living space. All-suite luxury pampers guests, with seductive choices from One Bedroom Suites to Signature Deluxe Ocean View sanctuaries complete with private lanais. Every conceivable amenity, from executive work desks to iPod docking stations, has been included to ensure a relaxed, residential ambience. To know the suites of Oceana is to know how it feels to be in at home in Santa Monica.

The Lawyers' Travel Service Preferred Hotel Partners Program rate at Oceana is $279 (compared to a corporate rate of $399).*

THE LAWYERS' TRAVEL SERVICE PREFERRED HOTEL PARTNERS PROGRAM
OMNI CHICAGO
676 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago

The Omni Chicago Hotel is the only "All Suites" luxury hotel located on Michigan Avenue, the premier retail and shopping district in the city. The hotel is located just three blocks from the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline and a few blocks north of the Loop (financial district); the perfect location for business travelers looking for luxury accommodations.

The suites are 430 total square feet with separated living and bedroom space. The living room has two chairs and ottoman, 37-inch plasma flat-screen TV, oversized work desk with phone and wireless Internet access. There is a second TV in the bedroom, marble bathroom with granite countertops and wet bar.

Rate includes: Complimentary town car service within a 5 mile radius to local office (drop off only); Complimentary high-speed wireless internet access; Complimentary upgrades based on availability; and Complimentary drink coupon per stay.

The Lawyers' Travel Service Preferred Hotel Partners Program rate at the Omni Chicago is $169 through April 4, 2010 (compared to a corporate rate of $199).*

THE LAWYERS' TRAVEL SERVICE PREFERRED HOTEL PARTNERS PROGRAM
THE WESTIN CHARLOTTE
601 South College Street
Charlotte

Situated in the uptown financial district of North Carolina's most exciting city, The Westin Charlotte, a Portman design, strikes a stunning architectural note in Charlotte's skyline. There are endless opportunities at the hotel's doorstep—just minutes from the Charlotte Convention Center and Bank of America Stadium. The Westin Charlotte is also steps from the upcoming NASCAR® Hall of Fame, Harvey B. Gantt African American Cultural Center and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.

Unwind with friends at the newly designed BAR10. Explore culinary desires at Ember Grille. Connect with colleagues in Charlotte's largest hotel meeting and catering facility. Restore body, mind and spirit in Westin's signature Heavenly Bed®, Heavenly Bath® and WestinWORKOUT®.

The only choice for modern luxury in uptown, The Westin Charlotte is truly inspiration revealed.

The Lawyers' Travel Service Preferred Hotel Partners Program rate at The Westin Charlotte is $159 (compared to a corporate rate of $229).*

THE LAWYERS' TRAVEL SERVICE PREFERRED HOTEL PARTNERS PROGRAM
THE WESTIN GRAND
2350 M Street NW
Washington, DC

Situated in the stylish West End district of the nation's capital, The Westin Grand, Washington, DC enjoys an unbeatable location. Whether one is visiting for business or leisure, the hotel is moments away from Georgetown, the Monuments/Memorials and the White House.

The staff at The Westin Grand is ready to cater to a multilingual clientele and is decorated with an international flair. The European-style courtyard is a relaxing place to sit and meet with business partners or friends. The hotel also offers a newly renovated Westin Workout center and seasonal outdoor pool so that guests can jump in and refresh.

Feel free to spread out and work from an oversized desk in one of the spacious guest rooms. The hotel has everything a traveler needs, with High Speed Internet Access and two telephone lines. Each bathroom has a separate soaking tub and Heavenly Shower®. Enjoy a peaceful night's sleep in the signature Heavenly Bed®.

The Lawyers' Travel Service Preferred Hotel Partners Program rate at The Westin Grand Washington, DC is $229 through April 4, 2010 (compared to a corporate rate of $329).*

* All rates are subject to availability.
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