NEWS HEADLINES:

Travel Services unveils Travel onLion, new online booking program

Training Opportunities and User Guides
Starting June 1, Penn State employees will be able to organize their trips with an enhanced online booking tool available through Penn State Travel Services.

Travel onLion will replace TravelPort, the present booking agent, and offer customers new features that will improve ease of booking, create new options for travelers, and make organizing trips easier than ever.

"It has the look and feel like Orbitz and other sites people are used to," Marguerite Gustkey, Travel Services manager, said. "It's different from what we have now and is so much more savvy."

A contest drawing featuring prizes, including a grand prize of two international tickets on United Airlines, and other incentives will be featured for first-time users during the program's preliminary release.

The new tool uses modern search capabilities to deliver a broad selection of travel at the lowest cost. Customers will be able to choose from a huge inventory of travel sources, including airlines, hotels, rental cars, and rail. Improved browser compatibilities and multi-passenger booking are some of the new features that will be available through Travel onLion.

New features include:

- Faster booking with fewer screens
- Comprehensive hotel searching capabilities
- Organizing trips for more than one passenger
- Wide selection of air, hotel, rental car, and rail inventory
- Saving frequently traveled trips
- New browser compatibilities
- Trip planning resources like maps and driving directions

Notice Regarding Travel to Mexico
April 27, 2009


The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens of the health risks of travel to Mexico at this time due to an outbreak of H1N1 "swine flu." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an April 27 notice recommending that American citizens avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico at this time. CDC's notice also suggests precautions that travelers and U.S. citizen residents in Mexico can take to reduce their risk of infection while in Mexico. (More)

TRAVEL NEWS
TSA Passenger Screening Update
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in October announced the final rule for the Secure Flight program, which is designed to enhance the security of domestic and international commercial air travel through the use of improved watch list matching. (more)
Delta Introduces New Account-Linking, Mileage-Transfer Capabilities for SkyMiles, WorldPerks Members
Airline continues 2009 program alignment to create improved frequent flyer experience. (more)
A New Face in Travel Services
Travel Services is pleased to welcome Daria Pivirotto to the department.  Daria comes to us from US Airways at the University Park Airport and will be working in Travel Services as a Travel Coordinator, supporting the online booking tool and other types of travel.
Important Things to Remember
Don't forget to update all travel related profiles such as Travelport and National Car Rental with current expiration dates for driver's licenses, credit cards and any changes in membership numbers for airlines or hotels.  If the information on file is not correct, it will  not pass to the vendor correctly and cause problems.(more)
GLOBAL TRAVEL NEWS