Outsourced Travel Websites

This is a tough post that no one wants to see in print.

Outsourcing is a dirty little secret for many companies, internet companies included. Although no company wants to talk about it, it is in fact a large issue because it affects the bottom line of these companies while it hurts the local economy. The travel industry has felt this impact as well. It is too easy to outsource call center and technical jobs to places such as India. But if jobs keep going away, who is going to have the money to travel and give it to the very same greedy companies that started the downward cycle?

Our belief is that if you are calling from the USA, you should get an employee from the USA. If you are calling your favorite travel agent from Great Britain, you probably want to speak with someone from Great Britain as well. Someone who knows the area and can speak your language.

Popular travel website companies that outsource many jobs include Expedia/Hotels.com, Orbitz, Priceline, Travelocity and Cendant Hospitality (Super 8, Days Inn, Ramada, Wyndham, Baymont, Wingate, Travelodge, Howard Johnson, Amerihost and Knights Inn).

We can swear that AllStays.com does not employ or outsource any job under our control. We don't worry about a stock price and we don't send our own customers out of the country, wherever they may be located. Our website is built here, stored here, programmed here and maintained here. We strongly push for customer service jobs of all industries to remain in this country. Whether we build an office in Las Vegas, London, or Paris, we'll hire locally for that office. For full disclosure however, we do use a outside phone call service center run by another company that remained open in Texas. This company has now begun to outsource some of these positions as well and against our wishes but out of our control. Although we don't agree with this tactic, we are powerless against it at the moment. Until another solution is found, that is what is happening whether we like it or not.

So how can you avoid the outsourced position when booking travel? Book online right here. Our servers are housed, serviced, secured and maintained in America. Nothing so much as a graphic image on this site was built anywhere else.

A more complete list can be found from CNN's Lou Dobbs, as a resource for this information here.

Delta Flight 6499: Seven Hours in Tarmacville

Airlines have recently talked about having passenger bill of rights and many have indeed written them up. There is a difference between just writing them and actually following them however. Here is Delta Airlines interpretation of theirs in a YouTube video. No food for you!

You can also join the lively discussion about this video here.

Cancellation Fees and Policies In Detail

It is time again to address cancellation policies, fees and charges. Hotels are the ones that charge them but it sometimes appears as if we do.

We get emails from upset customers when they are surprised by cancellation charges and sometimes even have to pay for a hotel stay they didn't complete. This anger is directed at us but that fact is that we don't charge any fees at all. The hotel controls the policies and collects the money. We just take all the blame because it's our name on the reservation.

Most bookings on AllStays.com do not have a cancellation fee at all if it is cancelled by a certain time, usually 24-48 hours ahead of the check in date. However, certain rates are negotiated with the hotels and these include cancellation fees and are clearly stated on the pages for the hotels. Please always read this policy (#3) on the booking page. This is stated before you ever enter your personal information. This fee is in place for about 8,000 out of 54,000 bookable hotels listed. It is part of the contract with the hotels for the cheaper rates. The hotel gets a certain amount of money regardless of what happens in the booking. They are set in that point.

Holiday Inn is an example of a hotel chain that gives out discounted rates. Whether booking with us or at the official Holiday Inn website, if you book one of those rates and cancel, you will pay between one nights rate and even possibly the entire stay. You basically save $5 or $10 a night to give up the right to cancel.

This is one of the most frustrating things about the travel industry these days and we hope you will read all of this to see the concrete proof that we are not the ones that caused fees for a cancellation. If it was up to us there would be no fees at all. But we do not control the hotels policies. We just link to them so you can book your travel. When complaining about fees, make sure to include the hotel. They are the ones that got all the money in fees. We didn't get a dime of it.

For example, please check this link from the official Holiday Inn website for this hotel where they charge you one nights stay for the cancellation. We are picking on Holiday Inn in this case but many of the chains and independents do the same.

Because the credit card is accepted by us and passed onto the hotel, the hotel can dictate the fees charged and they appear as if they are coming from us. AllStays.com does not get a dime of these fees. Zero. They are charges put upon us by the hotel and/or the GDS network (Global Distribution System) which in this case is Sabre which is the same company as Travelocity. They control the most number of access points for travel agents. You get charged the fee, we take the heat and get nothing for it. You get mad at AllStays or your local travel agent and the big greedy corporation gets the money.

You may still want to blame us for charging fees but you can also look up the same hotel on other travel websites like Expedia/Hotels.com (actually same company), or Travelocity. You will find in most cases, the same exact cancellation fee and policy.

And remember that anytime you make a booking for the next day or the same day you are making the booking, you will be paying for the hotel stay. You can't cancel at that point. You are charged the whole room rate because the hotel doesn't have any time to re-sell that room if you cancel.

Because we are always trying to make improvements and want to keep your business, please let us know if there is any way we can make the fee more obvious up front. we state the policy before the booking takes place but we realize it takes time to read the text on the page.

We don't answer to any stock price and stockholders like other websites. We answer to you. We really are on your side, the guest, but the rules of the game are tough on independents and those trying to do the right thing.

Adam Longfellow
President, AllStays.com

New Orleans Luxury Hotels Sued by Immigrant Workers

Latin American workers who were hired as legal "guest workers" by Decatur Hotels, a company that operates 10 luxury hotels in New Orleans, filed a federal lawsuit saying they were recruited with unfulfilled promises of good earnings. In the end, they contend that they have been left thousands of dollars in debt for their visas, recruitment fees and transportation here.

Decatur Hotels worked under the federal H-2B visa program, in which employers must stipulate that they cannot find U.S. workers to fill their jobs. A company can then bring in workers from other countries. The guest workers say that Decatur Hotels has not fulfilled their end of their offer providing them with 40 hours of work per week. Under the law, the workers are bound to work for Decatur Hotels and not allowed to find any other jobs. After paying room and board, a worker may earn as low as $18 for two weeks. The lawsuit contends that Decatur Hotels employs over 300 immigrant workers.

The hotels run by Decatur Hotels are: The Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel, Chateau Dupre Hotel, Historic French Market Inn, Holiday Inn Express Hotel Le Cirque, The Lafayette Hotel, Parc St. Charles, The Pelham Hotel, St. James Hotel, and The Cotton Exchange Hotel.

Whichever side of an issue like this you are on, please let them know.

Hotel Resort Fees Insulting

Hotel Resort Fess are perhaps one of the most annoying (and expensive) things in travel these days. Many big hotels, resorts and corporations insist on upsetting their own guests for profit.

Resort fees were popular just before 9/11/2001 and then most of the fees disappeared when business went down. Years later, the hotels are busy again and fees are popping up all over. Not mentioning the ridiculous parking fees, resort fees are those annoying little charges, sometimes as much as $25 a night, that they tack on to your rate upon checkout. They are for things that used to be for free: the pool, the "free" newspaper, maid service, tips, in room coffee, fitness facilities, the ability to make a toll free phone call or use your calling card and maybe internet access. Although many places still charge an additional fee for the internet access. We know of some popular hotels that add as much as $50 a day between parking and resort fees.

Hotels like to charge extra whenever they can and the customer allows it. Instead of letting you optionally pay for something that you use, they just charge everyone for it. Imagine a restaurant charging everyone for drinks and desert whether you wanted it or not. Or maybe charge for silverware to eat your food. Sounds pretty outrageous doesn't it? In recent years, we've even seen hotels charge extra fees for water and electricity. Could we have a room without water and electricity please? Oh wait, that would be a tent and we can get that cheaper at K-Mart.

AllStays.com asks, isn't that what the hotel rate is for? If someone owns a hotel and it's parking lot, can't we just get one rate for the entire stay at the property? Can we get ask for a room without towels, maid service, coffee, newspaper for less? No. The resort fees are usually required and they are not mentioned upfront.

The fact is that taxes are different on the room rate than on the surcharges. The tax collector is taking a hit. You might say 'who care's about that' but we should care in the way it is handled. When you compare room rates, online or over the phone, the fees are not mentioned. Or they are in fine print buried on a web page you don't see. You may think you are getting a deal by $20 a night and wind up paying $50 more for your stay. It's a way for hotels to act competitive when they are not. Some bargain travel website are also dealing with problem. You accept the risk to take the lowest rate, find out the name of the hotel and you are happy until checkout. Sometimes it's included in your end rate and sometimes guests are rudely surprised. It's also a way to insult a customer they paid to get in the door and to make sure they never come back.

Starwood Hotels has already settled a class action lawsuit on this matter. Starwood, along with Hilton and Marriott now have policies against resort fees. We agree. A hotel should just raise their room rate if they need more money. They can also proudly state what they include in their new rate if they did so.

Consumers need to complain about these charges or they'll charge you $3 a night for using a pillow. Make your voice loud and clear that you don't like it and they are losing a customer. Fees should be optional. If didn't want the plasma television and entertainment center in your room at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel, you shouldn't have to pay $5 for it. But it's in every room, so you have no choice. In the early days, many places would remove these fees when you complain. Like testing the waters to see how much they could get you for and how much they would have to give back. Tack on fees to see if you were paying attention or if you would complain. Most people do not complain. They take it and then complain to everyone they know. The hotel loses potential customers and gets a bad reputation in numerous small circles.

AllStays.com is now going to try to out these resort fee ridden hotels every chance we get. We will be adding a note about this on our city page summaries wherever we can. It still won't be included in the quoted rates or online booking because we can't do it. The hotels control those rates and do not include or disclose it to us. If this really bugs you, try to inspect their website, which we link to directly (no other travel website does this). They may or may not bury the fees on their website. Keep this in mind when comparing rates between hotels as well. Many places never mention it anywhere until you are checking out and paying your bill. Some places even try to hide it when asked directly about it over the phone. One place told us they didn't have a "resort fee" at all. No, we found out they wound up having a "facilities fee."

Complain now and complain loudly before they start charging for bed sheets. They may not give you a discount for bringing your own.

Hurricane Hotel, Lodging and Travel Challenges

It's hurricane season again. The season runs from June 1 to November 30. Of course, hurricanes don't follow schedules and can happen anytime of the year but this time period is when conditions are prime for them to actually develop.

The National Hurricane Center is predicting a busy year and you need to be ready. Hotels and motels quickly fill up around a storm. And you never know where the storm will wind up heading. If you do start to think about evacuating, you may want to consider this technique. Book what you consider a safe hotel room early on in the storm reports. Look for bookings without cancellation fees. We try to avoid having any fees at AllStays.com but many of the "discount rates" or special rates do have fees. Avoid any pre-pay rates, read the cancellation policy carefully and book ahead of time to have your room secured. And then it's there if you need it. Just remember to follow the advance notice rules and cancel in time to avoid any fees or penalties.

If a hotel raises the rate on you or doesn't treat your reservation properly, make sure you report them to the authorities and us. Price gouging is illegal and immoral and they must be prosecuted. We don't want those kind of places on our website.

Don't live in hurricane zones? It still may impact your vacation or business travel. Maybe the plane you were boarding in Chicago was coming in from Miami. Storms can disrupt schedules in peaceful areas on the country. It pays to keep an eye on the storm weather updates if you are traveling at all. During the season, AllStays.com will have a link to the storm weather updates on our home page for easy access. Hurricanes can also impact the price of gas, food and building supplies. They have a ripple affect throughout the economy.

Bed Bugs in Hotels

They're back.

Bed bugs in hotels have never really gone away but the old phrase "sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite" has come back strong and with a bite to hotels. Even some of the finest hotels in the world are being bitten by the resurgence of these bloody biters.

They are not targeting cheap hotels or old hotels. They can be found in the newest, the best and the most expensive of hotels. They do not discriminate. They just want human blood and do not pose a health threat at this time.

More and more hotel pest calls are being quietly serviced by the pest control industry. The complaints are rising but are mostly buried by the hotel chains. As a travel website, we don't want consumer afraid of hotels but we do want you to be aware of the problem and what you can do about it.

Bed Bug Lawsuits

Bed bugs have triggered lawsuits but that seems a bit too extreme. Bed bugs are in our homes, not just hotels. Hotels are more susceptible however, because of the transient nature of the guests. People and their luggage come and go and the bed bugs can hitch a ride from place to place, multiplying as they go. If you complain to the front desk, the hotel should try and accommodate you with compensation. Perhaps a free stay or other perks that they can pass on to you right away.

Bed bugs are oval-shaped and tiny, less than a quarter of an inch, and brown in color. They hide under mattresses and in the bed frames, crevices and other furniture pieces.

Once they find an attractive human source, they bore the skin and suck blood. Can an empty room kill them off? Not so, as they can go months without a food source. They wait patiently for the next guest to check in. They may even hitch a ride home with you in your luggage.

Scientists believe that the resurgence is caused by the cut backs in some pesticides. Many of the most powerful pesticides have been taken off the market due to other health problems that they caused. In the U.S., the insecticide DDT which was banned in the 1960s, was used heavily in hotels and bed bugs were nearly eliminated in the 1940s and 50s.

There is no evidence that bed bugs transmit West Nile Virus or any others at this time. So far, they only leave a itchy mark on the skin....and perhaps an uneasy creepy feeling the next time you pull back the sheets in your hotel room.

Electronic Passports Are Worriesome

Get your passport now if you don't have one. Already have one expring in the next year or two? Get it renewed now.

In case you hadn't heard, all new U.S. passports are going to be equipped with microchips. The will contain and broadcast information about you to anyone who can read it. Whether that the government, identity thieves or terrorists remains to be seen. The information with include the cardholder's name, birth date, issuing office and a digital photo of the face. Other biometrics such as fingerprints may be added as well. Anyone with a machine reader will know who you are, what you look like and where you are from. They won't even need to pick your pocket.

On the latest passports, they are really disregarding a basic privacy approach and leaving out basic security methods that you would expect for such an important document. The American Civil Liberties Union has already raised alarms. An executive at a company developing a prototype for the U.S. State Department calls the international standards woefully inadequate.

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Traveling Internationally? Stay Safe

It's a dangerous world out there as well as in your own country or even home, for that matter.

When traveling, be alert to dangerous climates and political problems. If terrorists are targeting tourists, you may want to steer clear of that corner. Check out the U.S. State Department's travel advisory site. But keep in mind as you read the sometimes hysteria inducing warnings that it also depends on how you're traveling. A group tour with first class hotels is quite different than traveling solo with a backpack across the globe.