Patrick Clarke travel tips

More and more travelers are ready to make their dream getaway a reality as the calendar flips to May.

WHY IT RATES: Individuals interested in attending the marquee event will have to join the waitlist now.—Patrick Clarke, TravelPulse Senior Editor

While it may not seem like it given the rising cost of most things, travelers are actually living in the golden age of cheap flights.

The best airline loyalty program is one that's well-rounded and can meet the needs of a wide range of travelers.

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is celebrating Global Travel Advisor Day ahead of May 1 by giving away a handful of exciting prizes.During ASTA's social media contest, advisors can win a set of two roundtrip tickets on Southwest Airlines, registration for the sold-out 2025 River Cruise Expo on Vienna, Austria and a grand prize of a four-night stay at the new Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Resort.

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Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun revealed that he will step down from his role at the end of 2024, the aircraft manufacturer announced Monday.In addition to Calhoun's exit, Board Chair Larry Kellner said he will not stand for re-election at the upcoming annual shareholder meeting, prompting the board to elect Steve Mollenkopf to succeed Kellner as independent board chair.Mollenkopf will lead the board's process of selecting Boeing's next CEO.Meanwhile, Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) President and CEO, is also out amid the massive shake-up. Deal will retire from the company and be replaced by Stephanie Pope, who will lead BCA starting Monday."It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve Boeing," Calhoun said in a letter to employees. "The eyes of the world are on us, and I know that we will come through this moment a better company. We will remain squarely focused on completing the work we have done together to return our company to stability after the extraordinary challenges of the past five years, with safety and quality at the forefront of everything that we do.""As we begin this period of transition, I want to assure you, we will remain squarely focused on completing the work we have done together to return our company to stability after the extraordinary challenges of the past five years, with safety and quality at the forefront of everything that we do," Calhoun added.The leadership changes come just one month after Boeing removed the head of its 737 Max program, Ed Clark, replacing him with former Vice President, 737 Delivery Operations, Katie Ringgold. "Our customers demand, and deserve, nothing less," Deal said at the time.It's been a tumultuous few months for Boeing in the wake of a door panel blowing out of an Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight in early January. The incident put a spotlight on the company that's revealed disturbing quality control issues that have delayed production and prompted investigations by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other agencies. Recently, airline executives have sought to meet with Boeing as some passengers are seeking out alternative aircraft and officials work to reassure the flying public that air travel is still safe.

ALG Vacations (ALGV) is celebrating the arrival of spring with its new European Cities & Seas sale featuring $50 air credit on United Airlines flights and 50 percent savings on air and hotel packages.Travel advisors can book with Apple Vacations, Funjet Vacations, Travel Impressions and United Vacations from now until April 4 for travel through December 15, 2024, to score their clients special savings and perks.Guests can pair a stay of three nights or longer with a United Airlines flight to receive $50 off their booking, which they can combine with promotional pricing for hotel stays for as low as $350 down.The promotion allows travelers the unique opportunity to visit Europe's most coveted cities such as London, Paris and Rome while also enjoying a beach vacation in seaside destinations like the Canary Islands, Mallorca and Corfu, Greece."After exploring top cities in Europe, your clients will love relaxing at the beach with ALGV's Cities & Seas program," says Jacki Marks, Global Head of Trade Brands. "Plus, they know they'll be well-taken care of by familiar hotels like Dreams Resorts & Spas and Secrets Resorts & Spas."Travel advisors can visit ALGVacations.com to learn more about ALGV's European Cities & Seas sale.

American Express Global Business Travel is betting big on business travel's recovery post-pandemic, announcing plans to acquire rival CWT for $570 million.

Spring has officially sprung and the arrival of longer days and warmer temperatures means more opportunities to get out and see the world.

AAA has added five North American hotels and one restaurant to its coveted and fast-growing Four Diamonds list.

WHY IT RATES: The fresh faces should only help in the foundation's efforts to improve the hospitality industry.—Patrick Clarke, TravelPulse Senior Editor

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) announced that its 2025 River Cruise Expo in Vienna, Austria next March has sold out.The news comes just two days after ASTA announced Vienna as the host city for the fourth annual event on March 12-15, 2025. A total of 1,500 attendees registered for next year's River Cruise Expo.ASTA is currently working to secure additional ships to participate in next year's expo to meet the demand. If successful and inventory is expanded, the organization plans to open spaces to individuals registered for the wait list in the order their name was added.Advisors can add their names to the list here."We are thrilled by the response to this unique event. We are even more excited to see advisors experiencing immediate ROI from attending," said Sarah Little, VP of Business Development at ASTA."Many of them have secured client bookings because of their social media posts while onsite. We are committed to creating more events that boost knowledge, relationships, and profitability."

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) continues to push back against American Airlines' controversial New Distribution Capability (NDC) rollout.On Monday, the Alexandria, Virginia-based organization launched a weeklong ad campaign in POLITICO magazine in hopes of influencing lawmakers in Washington, D.C.Beginning May 1, American will stop awarding AAdvantage miles and loyalty accrual points through agencies unless they are deemed "preferred," a status achieved by having a 2024 incentive agreement with the airline or by booking through American NDC channels and reaching progressive sales thresholds of 30 percent by April 21, 50 percent by October 31 and 70 percent by April 30, 2025."This latest development doubles down on American Airlines' clear agenda since last year to force the travel agency industry to adopt immature technology, monopolize distribution channels, and squeeze channel partners and customers for cost-cutting and profit," ASTA stated.Additionally, ASTA is offering a toolkit for travel advisors to reach out to their congressional representatives. The organization is also encouraging members to send their clients to SaveMyMiles.com to take action."Tell them to stop AA from disenfranchising customers who book through travel agencies by telling Congress—don’t let American Airlines eliminate consumer choice," says ASTA.

Jamaica hosted one million visitors and earned USD $1 billion in gross foreign exchange earnings in the first two months of 2024, building on a record 2023.

Cruise travel has never been more popular as the industry is expected to achieve record levels in 2024.

JetBlue Vacations is inviting travelers to save up to $300 and score special perks when they book through its Insider Experience program this spring.The program connects customers with a specially trained team of local Insiders throughout their stay at no extra charge and comes standard with flight and hotel packages to a handful of popular destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.

New tech is making it easier to be a travel advisor. (Photo Credit: LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Adobe)

Airbnb is banning any and all use of indoor security cameras moving forward.

February was a relatively quiet month in terms of travel advisory updates from the U.S. State Department.

Spring is fast approaching and time is running out for travelers to book their dream summer vacation.