Got a passport?

Take it out and check the expiration date. The Department of State is warning of a passport crunch coming very soon, that may extend the time it takes you to apply for or renew a passport. Here's why:
1) A number of travel regulations changed in 2006-2008, which increased the number of U.S. citizens with passports. The 10-year-expiration date is coming up on all those passports, so there is an expected higher demand for renewals.
2) The dollar is strong right now, so more people are looking to travel abroad.
3) The Real ID act has heightened awareness of forms of ID and may contribute slightly to higher passport demand.

Opinion Piece by James Wells, Founder and Chairman of World Travel, Inc.

On November 30th, 2015, JetBlue Airlines chose not to renew the sale of their product through the Travelport global distribution system. Earlier in the year, on June 1, 2015, Lufthansa Airlines implemented a global distribution fee to cover their GDS costs when a reservation originates through any global distribution system.

The JetBlue/Travelport distribution contract is no more, which means your travelers (if you use the Apollo GDS System) are no longer able to easily purchase JetBlue fares.

You never stop learning, especially if you’re a World Travel, Inc. Client.

Have you been following the rulings on U.S.-EU Data Transfers? New developments may – or may not – affect your business. World Travel, Inc.’s Corporate Counsel, Maribeth Minella, addresses What Happened and What Now for our industry update this week. Keep in mind that Data Transfer is a finely regulated topic, particularly when crossing international borders. You'll find Maribeth's overview below.

Opinion Piece by Juan Moreira, Corporate Sourcing Manager at John Wiley and Sons

An Interview with Michael Farrell, SVP Events & Communications at World Travel, Inc.

UPDATE on 11/20: All jurisdictions but the American Samoa and Minnesota now have extensions to comply with the REAL ID Act. For specific information, please reference the Department of Homeland Security's briefing page.

Opinion Piece by James Wells, Founder and Chairman of World Travel, Inc.

Since 2011, Gordon Wilson has been at the helm of Travelport, ushering it into an era of increased content, enhanced usability, IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, and even a redefined identity (Travelport is a Travel Commerce Platform; “GDS” is passé, haven’t you heard?). It comes as no surprise, then, that he possesses a remarkably holistic view of the travel industry and the integral role of the global distribution system. Travelport is more than a storefront for aggregated content; it’s an innovator of improved technology, an intermediary in industry partnerships, and a proponent of travel and tourism benefits.