REPOST: Hassle-free Holiday Air Travel Tips

Year-end travel can be stressful: costly airfare, crowded flights, and cramped hotel rooms are just some of the regular pickings. The Huffington Post provides tips for dealing with holiday travel nightmares in the article below:

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Now that you've survived the dreaded Thanksgiving travel weekend, it's time to start preparing for the next busiest period: year-end travel. And though Christmas doesn't see the same volume of travelers as Thanksgiving (the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that the number of long distance trips increases by 54 percent around Thanksgiving; Christmas and New Year's only see a 23 percent upsurge), it's still a hectic time to travel.

In an effort to help you get through this busy season, U.S. News talked with several travel experts for tips on improving the experience. Last week, we got the scoop from CheapOair.com on preparing for and dealing with weather-related flight delays, and this week we talked to Courtney Scott, senior editor for Travelocity.com. Her No. 1 piece of advice? "Be as armed and prepared as possible when heading into holiday travel." Here are some crucial tips for dealing with all aspects of year-end air travel.

Plan ahead
Avoiding holiday travel headaches starts long before you get to the airport. Scott advised shipping your gifts at least a week before you depart -- the cost of shipping is ultimately cheaper than those checked baggage fees, so why not sidestep the hassle? Plus with just a carry-on, you don't need to worry about the airline losing your luggage. If you do need to check a bag, consider paying the fee online before you get to the airport. Some airlines, such as Sun Country, Spirit and Frontier, offer discounted checked bag fees for customers who pay when they check in online.

Scott also recommended prepaying for airport parking. Companies like Park N' Flyand AirportParkingReservations.com allow you to reserve parking spots and pay ahead of time, meaning you won't have to waste time circling the lot in search of an empty spot. Some of these services also offer competitive rates that are lower than those offered in the airport's long-term lot on your departure date. You should also check to see if the airport offers a discounted prepaid option directly through its website, such as the one offered by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Ready your smartphone
Your smartphone is your best tool for holiday air travel. Scott recommended downloading the My TSA mobile app, which has a "Can I Bring?" feature that allows users to search if an item is permitted or prohibited. Use this while you're packing to avoid delays at airport security. If you're a frequent flier, you're probably already using the FlightAware website and app, but its Misery Map is especially useful during frequent winter storms. The map shows worldwide cancellations and delays, an important tool if you're flying from or to an area hit with winter weather. If you do encounter a delay, GateGuru can help you monitor the status of your flight and point you in the direction of airport amenities with its AirportCard feature, which also includes a map. And if you don't already have the Uber app, now's the time to get it. Scott suggested using the app if you need a cab during off hours, when airport taxis may be scarce. Another bonus: All of these are free to download.

Scott also advised adding emergency travel numbers to your phone, including the airline reservation and customer service lines, and if you used third-party booking sites like Expedia or Priceline, the numbers for them as well. If you booked your ticket through these sites, their agents may be able to find an alternate flight for you should your trip get delayed or canceled. While it's easy to look these up on the fly -- especially with the ubiquity of free airport Wi-Fi -- having the numbers already plugged in to your phone can save you precious time.

Get to the airport early
This may sound like a no-brainer, but getting to the airport at least two hours ahead of your flight is essential, according to Scott. Remember that mile-long security line at Chicago's Midway Airport the Sunday after Thanksgiving? We're guessing those passengers wished they had more time to get through security. Plus, according to a new report from the U.S. Travel Association, 13 of the nation's largest 30 airports already experience Thanksgiving-like traffic once a week. Allow yourself plenty of time to get to your gate by checking in online as soon you receive the reminder email from your airline. This is especially critical if you're flying with an air carrier that determines seats or boarding groups by check-in time (like Southwest Airlines, for example). It's one less stress you'll have to worry about the day of your trip.

Know your options
That old military axiom "the best defense is a good offense" couldn't be truer for holiday air travel. It may be a bit time consuming, but mapping out a plan B can save you some scrambling should your flight get delayed or canceled. Scott suggested looking up and jotting down alternative flights before your trip gets disrupted. If you know which backup itineraries work best for you, you can suggest them to the airline representative rebooking you.

And if you're worried that you could get stranded at the airport, check to see if there are any airport hotels nearby, and their availability and pricing. This is where tools like HotelTonight, Hotels.com and LastMinuteTravel.com come in handy.

Once you've survived the holiday travel season, why not reward yourself with a vacation? Next week, we discuss why traveling should be your No. 1 New Year's resolution, with input from Joe Diaz, co-founder and chief product officer for AFAR Media.

The personal managers and service providers of Club Luichi help busy travelers secure their flights and plan their itineraries efficiently. 120382864 Subscribe to this blog for more discussions on personal concierge services.

REPOST: About 3 out of every 4 people plan to travel this fall

It may be a good idea to book airplane tickets and hotel reservation this early. According to FoxNews.com, three out of four Americans are planning to travel this fall. Details below:  

 

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Think that summer is the time to take a trip?  According to a new poll,  3 out of 4 Americans are planning to travel this fall, according to AAA’s latest Consumer Pulse survey.

The survey questioned 1,200 residents of Florida, Georgia and Tennessee and found that about 75 percent of those polled plan to take “at least one leisure trip of 50 miles or more away from home, requiring overnight accommodations” in the next three months.

And while a majority (an average of 83 percent) of those trips are likely to be in the U.S., 13 percent of respondents say they plan on traveling both internationally and domestically.

Most respondents expect to spend an estimated $500 - $1,000 for these trips.

“People like to travel during the fall, because they can find great deals,” Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group, told News4 WJXT Jacksonville. “School is back in session, which means hotels, cruises and attractions are not quite as crowded, so vendors are more likely to roll out lower rates to get your business.”

Some of these include cheaper cruise excursions and lower hotel rates. The exception may be airfare, which often sees a significant spike around the Thanksgiving and Christmas travel seasons.

For those with a little flexibility, planning a vacation in the coolest months may be the best way to score a deal.

Club Luichi provides a wide range of services, including travel planning and hotel reservation. Get professional and personalized help for your various travel needs here.

REPOST: 6 Ways to Retain Ecommerce Customers

One of the challenges that owners of online businesses face is the ever changing e-commerce landscape. How then can they keep up with all these changes and still maintain and grow their customer base? Find out from this article from Entrepreneur.com.

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For every business, the best customer is the one you already have. And in today’s noisy, ever-changing e-commerce landscape, developing and maintaining a base of loyal customers is as essential as it’s ever been. We talked to 3 experts for their tips on how to keep customers coming back.

1. Dangle a carrot. Sometimes a small gesture can go a really long way toward making a customer feel valued. Terry Lin, e-commerce educator and founder of Baller Leather fashion accessories, points to Diamond Candles, who figured out a creative way to build great social incentives into their customers’ purchases. Existing customers would get a $5 discount code for friends after their first purchase. Once their friend used the code, the original customer would get another $5 credit.

“By doing so, they have built in a viral coefficient where one person has to tell another in order to realize the benefit of the $5 off code,” Lin explains. “Most businesses just give the code away without much incentive built in.”

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2. Make customers feel special. Since shopping online can be a sort of lonely and impersonal experience, don’t neglect good old-fashioned customer care. Dave Huckabay, who sells scientific and industrial equipment, calls clients after they make large purchases. He suggests e-retailers consider a similar strategy for certain major purchases, reaching out through email or phone to make sure the product arrived and that the customer is enjoying it. “They'll remember this. Follow up with an email thanking them for their time. Then send them an email coupon before the holidays.”

3. Use their inbox. Email newsletters are underutilized according to our experts, and are a great way to make customers feel they have the inside track. Give your buyers the first look at new product lines or sale items. Consider coupon codes that are only available to email newsletter subscribers. Make sure they know they’re getting an exclusive.

4. Beckon them back. Once a customer does buy something, it’s crucial to give them a reason to return. Huckabay suggests including a coupon in the box with their order. Did they buy a coffeemaker? Perhaps they’ll come back for a discount on coffee, filters or other related items.

5. Track customer behavior. Study your customers’ buying habits. If they usually make a purchase once every four months, send them a promotional email once every three months to preempt their buying decision. For regulars, Huckabay says it’s a good idea to encourage customers to sign up for refill subscriptions.

It’s important not to be overbearing though. “You should come at this from the perspective of ‘how can I possibly help this person,’ not ‘how can I milk the fact that he’s on my email list,” Huckabay adds.

Huckabay says it also pays to make inferences about what motivated a particular purchases and how to capitalize on that information. “If they bought jewelry in the last half of January, it’s probably a valentines present, Huckabay says. “Then, he gets an email from me about valentines day.”

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6. Check your analytics. With advances in web analytics, site owners have a range of powerful tools to see what content or items are popular or cause users to bounce away from your site. Lin says heat map software is a great way to see what parts of your site potential customers use the most. This is a feature available through both free and paid software.

“Heatmaps allow you to see where visitors are clicking, reading, and dropping off on your website. From there, you can make certain design changes to your site,” Lin says. “If a lot of folks are scrolling down to click on a certain page, you may want to consider moving it higher up to make things more convenient for them.”  

Club Luichi offers a new kind of concierge service that connects consumers and manufacturers worldwide. Read more about this latest twist in the e-commerce model here.

REPOST: 7 Super Successful People Share Their Best Travel Tips

Going on a business trip need not be stressful. This Business Insider article lists CEO’s and corporate bigwigs’ ways for getting the most pleasure and purpose out of your out of town or international sojourns.

 Business trips are often associated with long hours, uncomfortable hotel beds, and perpetual jet lag.

However, these trips prove necessary for building relationships with clients and closing deals, so it's important to make the most of them. Whether it's avoiding lost luggage, exploring new places, or simply using your time as efficiently as possible, there are plenty of ways to maximize business travel.

Image Source: businessinsider.com

In their most recent editorial package, "Out of Office," LinkedIn asked top minds to share their best insights on getting the most out of business travel.

Over 60 leaders across all industries provided original posts chronicling their worst traveling experiences, favorite tips for flying, and lessons they've learned over years of business trips.

Here's what seven of these super successful people had to say:

Beth Comstock says that if packing were an Olympic sport, she would be a gold medalist.

The General Electric chief marketing officer avoids hassles in the event of a last-minute flight change by traveling only with a single carry-on bag.

To make everything fit, Comstock packs light and employs a lightweight, fabric bag with lots of pockets and zippers. She also recommends utilizing hotel laundry services to stretch a small wardrobe (which she builds around a single pair of business shoes) over a long trip.

Still, packing everything into a single carry-on bag can occasionally make things awkward at the airport.

"I was a laughable sight wearing way too many clothes at a Lufthansa gate in Hong Kong, refusing to let my bag be rejected as too heavy."

Halliburton president Jeff Miller wakes up at 5 a.m. local time, no matter where he is.

Though it can sometimes be painful, Miller thinks it's extremely important to get in sync with his surroundings in whatever city he's in.

He also recommends going for a run outdoors, not only as a means of recharging the body and soul, but as a method of getting an up-close look at the city that other tourists and businesspeople don't often get.

"In my travels, I've run through the streets of every major city of the world. London, Paris, Beijing, Bangkok, Rio de Janeiro, New York," he said. "I've also had the chance to run through deserts in places like Saudi Arabia. Again, the oil and gas business is everywhere."

Don Peppers has a foolproof plan to avoid jet lag.

The self-described "thought leader" and Peppers & Rogers Group founder begins planning two to three days before a trip by setting up his Outlook calendar to show the timezone in the place he's visiting alongside his home time.

Once he gets on the plane, he makes the international timezone his primary time, which changes the timestamps on emails and the time on the computer's display screen.

Then, he begins the transition for real by only eating and sleeping when he would in his destination city, using a 3 mg dose of melanin to help fall asleep.

Once he lands, he furthers his adjustment by exercising in the morning to help set his mental clock and refusing to take a nap (which can make people revert to their original timezone).

HighTower CEO Elliot S. Weissbluth uses his time on planes to disconnect.

The financial services executive says he appreciates the lack of in-flight distractions because it allows him to put on some noise canceling headphones and let his mind wander.

Weissbluth massages the creative part of his brain by reading novels and long-form non-fiction, and by listening to his favorite music (specifically, Led Zeppelin).

 "If you want to improve productivity and focus, you need to let your analytical mind rest," he writes. "Regularly devoting attention to books, magazines, stories, films, music or whatever else sparks your imagination is critical to staying at the top of your game in business."

Designer Rachel Zoe packs as many meetings into 48 hours as possible.

Since having kids, Zoe began prioritizing family time over leisurely business trips. Taking a cue from friend Stella McCartney, she now caps business trips at 48 hours and schedules meetings straight through, morning to night.

"Whirlwind tours don't leave room to tack on any socializing, which is a small sacrifice to make to return home sooner to your babies," she says.

Zoe also makes her trips work double-time by extending them and bringing the kids, or combining in business travel with plans to visit out of town family.

Peter Guber, CEO of Mandalay Sports Media and owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, always studies up on his destination's local culture before boarding his flight.

On one disastrous trip to Japan, Guber's speech fell flat after he spoke too fast, his jokes didn't translate, and he offended the audience by attempting to get them to participate.

"I was culturally out of sync, out of touch, and likely perceived to be out of my mind," he says.

Since then, Guber takes special care to research local culture and social customs in advance and adapt his speeches accordingly. Learning to mold his talks to each specific audience allows Guber to connect with the crowd without offending or boring them.

Arne Sorenson, CEO of Marriott International, believes the biggest mistake of business travel is avoiding it.

"There's nothing like meeting colleagues face-to-face, on their turf," he says. "It not only expands a leader's perspective, but it also builds relationships that are the foundation of every company."

Though many leaders gripe that unnecessary travel is costs to much to justify, Sorenson notes that networking face-to-face builds relationships in a way that digital correspondence can't replace.

Sorenson also greatly values the varied perspectives and insights he gains from getting out of the office and exploring new places.  

Club Luichi members enjoy exclusive discounts and wholesale prices on a vast range of goods, services, and travel packages. Keep posted on the company’s updates by following this Twitter account.

REPOST: Richard Branson on the Art of Delegation

Richard Branson is perhaps one of the most admired thought leaders in the world of business. In this piece from Entrepreneur.com, Branson shares his ideas about the art of delegation. 

Q: Your company has hundreds of different businesses in operation; how do you manage to keep them on track and achieve expected output? ~ Robert Cheng, Taiwan 

A: The short answer is that I rely on a terrific team of CEOs and top managers, and on the great people around the world who work for Virgin. But building this group was a long process, so let's look at how our team arrived at this point. 

Virgin's ability to grow and diversify successfully was set in the company's early days, with my learning how to delegate and let go. This will probably seem counterintuitive to anyone who is in the midst of launching a business. Right now, you are almost certainly motivating your staff by demonstrating your own drive and enthusiasm. Most days, the founder will be the first to arrive at the office and the last to leave. This is often the only way to survive those first tough years, when most businesses have to scrape by with the minimum number of employees.

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The trick is to start promoting from within on day one. I'm not just referring to moving people to new positions, but giving all employees enough flexibility to take on new responsibilities within their current jobs. 

When employees tell you about their good ideas for the business, don't limit your response to asking questions, taking notes and following up. If you can, ask those people to lead their projects and take responsibility for them. From those experiences, they will then have built the confidence to take on more and you can take a further step back. 

I stumbled across this truth accidentally. My friends and I started up Student magazine and Virgin Records when we were kids, and so we had little corporate experience and knew next to nothing about setting up a bureaucracy. If someone in our group had the ability and desire to take on new responsibilities, he or she just went ahead and did it.

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A few years later, as the number of our employees neared 100 at our record business, I began to fear we were becoming slow and cumbersome. So I split the company in half, which created a new company. We picked talented people from within Virgin Records to run it. The next time Virgin Records' number of employees reached 100, I repeated this trick, and I have carried on doing it. This policy kept our businesses hungry and adaptable and, crucially, we uncovered great management talent -- people who otherwise might not have gotten noticed, and would likely have pursued promotions at other companies. 

At Virgin, we often promote employees who have energy and determination, even if they don't yet have a lot of experience. They are so buoyed by their promotion and passionate about their work that they make a success of the new job. All we have to do is ensure they have the support they need to carry out their goals. 

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Looking back, my decision to work out of my houseboat in West London rather than at Virgin Records' offices was a very important move. This happened about the same time I split Virgin Records into two. I decided to take a step back to give my managers space to make decisions.   

That's when I learned that the most successful entrepreneurs are those who find people who are at least as good as, or better than, they are at running their businesses. 

Stepping back frees the founder to focus on the bigger picture -- to dive in when there are problems or to help close a deal. This is how I manage our diversified group: I am not involved in the daily business of any Virgin company, unless I need to be. 

When your team is in place and the launch phase is over, take the time to conduct a test to see how well the company performs without your help. This can be a very revealing exercise: It will show you where the problems are and, most important, how well you have learned to delegate. 

So make sure you hire great people and find ways to keep them on your team for the long term. Encourage them to pursue their ideas and give them the tools that they need to succeed: promotions, assistance, or perhaps a new company! If you get this right, you will also have more time to look after body, mind, family, friends and children. Basically, you'll have to time to have a blast.

Need help in facilitating e-commerce transactions? Learn more about Club Luichi’s innovative e-commerce model by visiting its website.

Do you need help? When to consider a personal concierge

Think of personal concierges as stand-ins who can take care of things for people who have little or no time to get them done.

They can do all the little odds and ends people might forget or be unable to accomplish given the rather dizzying pace of everyday life.

 

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And contrary to typical notions, a personal butler is not exclusive to the millionaire's club. The average middle class guy who has to do the laundry and stock up the fridge but is always in a mad rush can get by with a little assistance.

 

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As far as the wide variety of tasks they can take on is concerned, personal assistants are worth the investment. They are good at making dinner reservations, shopping for gifts or for groceries, and arranging for pet/babysitting and other housekeeping services. Some concierges even take care of basic bank transactions and visits to the client's aging parents. Entrepreneur.com lists more errands that they can expertly do for their clients.

 

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Good tidings for entrepreneurs: small businesses can hire a personal concierge to handle phone calls, organize office files, data encoding, and even desktop publishing. In fact, for the purposes of efficiency and incentive, bigger firms are hiring them to lend a hand to employees working stretched hours. The thing to do is find a reliable personal concierge. Get an insured and certified one. Professional concierges are affiliated with the International Concierge and Errand Association, and other similar groups.

Club Luichi adopts an innovative approach in assisting clients with their online shopping needs. Visit the company website to learn more about its services.

Three e-commerce models that make sense

Everybody loves what e-commerce has done for businesses. Since its inception during the Internet’ early days, it has opened a whole new world of business opportunities, not to mention the convenience it brought for both sellers and consumers. Decades later, e-commerce is still evolving to cater to the ever-changing tastes of online customers. Here are three new online e-commerce models that are not just innovative and resourceful, but also make good business sense.

Bundles

Bundles are collections of digital work (games, e-books, or comics) sold or distributed at a value determined by the customer. Often, if the customers pays above the current average, they receive extra items. Examples of companies that follow this business model are Humble Bundle and Indie Gala.

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Assisted e-shopping
 

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Assisted e-shopping is essentially a member-based online shopping program that lets members purchase items with the help of a personal assistant. The client posts a desired product, and the assistant searches the program’s network of suppliers for the best deal available. Club Luichi is a good example of a company that practices assisted e-shopping.

Time banking

 

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Unlike other e-commerce models, the currency used in time banking is not monetary. Instead, participants barter their working hours. For example, a person volunteers to provide his or her services to another person for an hour. They are then credited with an hour, which they can redeem by acquiring an hour of work from another person. Organizations that use time banking include 65Hours and Time Banking UK.


Club Luichi adopts an innovative e-commerce model that is built on serving its members’ best interests by elevating their consumer confidence. Learn more about the company’s inventive business strategy from its official website.