As the Director of Technology at AirTreks, I personally wanted to address our outage yesterday.  On March 24, our website and phone lines went down and were unavailable from approximately 10:56 am through 2:32 pm.  AT&T reported the cause of the outage as a “failed network card in the routing equipment at the central office.”

As we all know, in today’s technologically advanced world, technology does fail from time to time.  I can assure you, we do everything we can to keep our systems up and running 24×7 and regret any inconvenience this may have caused.  If you attempted to contact us during our outage, please take the time and try contacting us again.  We are here to help and hope we can assist you with finding your perfect around the world journey.

Sincerely,

Justin Korn
Director, Technology
AirTreks

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Click here!

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AirTreks Special Promotion

Purchase your airfare from AirTreks between August 17 and August 28, 2009 and receive a gift card.

*Gift Cards will be for purchases from the Amazon.com website. Only one gift card will be issued per sale.

YOU MUST COMPLETE A PROMOTION QUALIFICATION FORM AND RETURN TO AIRTREKS BY SEPTEMBER 12, 2009 TO QUALIFY.

Download the Promotion Qualification PDF

Rules and Restrictions:

• This offer is valid on trips purchased between August 17 – 28, 2009. This offer does not apply to Simple Round Trip or One Way tickets in Business, First or Coach class.
• This offer does not apply to purchases from any of our partners, including BookingWiz.com. Amazon.com does ship to most locations world wide. For more info on Amazon.com Gift Cards please check out: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=3122091
• In the case of last minute departures, AirTreks cannot guarantee delivery of gift cards/rebate less than two weeks prior to departure.
• One rebate per qualifying purchase.
• You must complete a separate form for each qualifying purchase.
• This offer may not be combined with any other offer, incentive, or promotion.
• Retail customers only; travel agents do not qualify for this promotion.
• All Promotion Qualification forms must be returned to AirTreks by September 12, 2009.
• AirTreks reserves the right to cancel or change this promotion at any time.

The post Special Promotion: going on now! appeared first on AirTreks Travel News.

AirTreks is the worldwide leader in providing customized, efficient, and affordable air travel solutions for complex international trips. Specializing in around-the-world trips and in business since 1987, we are based in downtown San Francisco.

As a travel consultant, you will work with our travelers to optimize their choices of airlines, routes, and fares. We are looking for self-motivated, world savvy travelers or travel enthusiasts from all business backgrounds. While previous travel agency experience is not required, it is helpful. Sales experience and college degrees are preferred.

As this is a sales job, pay will be commission-based after the first three months. The first weeks will consist of an in-house training program, there is no cold-calling and it’s a fun place to work. You must be able to work well in a team and establish rapport with customers over the phone.

AirTreks is an exciting, high-growth work environment with opportunity for advancement as the company expands its presence domestically and internationally. Benefits: medical, 401K, employee stock options, travel discounts.

TO APPLY:

Please send an e-mail, writing “Travel Consultant” in the subject line of your message.

Please include your resume and cover letter in the body of your message AND as an attachment, demonstrating the following:

• Proven Sales Ability
• Technical aptitude
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• International travel experience or extensive knowledge of geography/culture  (please list those countries to which you have traveled)
• Travel industry experience
• Solid organizational skills
• Ability to multi-task

Please, no phone calls or drop-ins.  We look forward to hearing from you by email.

If you want to join our team, please email your resume and cover letter to:

salesjobs@airtreks.com.

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Follow us for daily links to news, events, articles, destination reviews, airline quality reports and even personal anecdotes from AirTreks’ travel repertoire.

Do it here!

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The good folks in IT offered to buy you all donuts for your trouble. Please accept our sincere apologies instead. If you need any info either on the trip you recently submitted or any other Airtreks product please contact one of our Travel Consultants at 1-877-247-8735 or by email at travel@airtreks.com at your convenience.

They are standing by to assist you!

Sincerely,

The staff at Airtreks.com

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1. We believe that international travel offers a wealth of opportunities for personal growth, cultural exchange, and peace.
2. The Company respects its employees, and its employees respect each other; this respect extends to all of our constituents.
3. We foster one-on-one relationships with our clients to make their journeys as wonderful as possible.
4. We are ethical and truthful in all our interactions.
5. We meet our commitments.
6. We strive for continuous improvement.

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While some of them have had to cut back on routes, and can’t lower their prices because they hedged their oil futures at $150/barrel, others have seriously slashed pricing and fuel surcharges to try to increase their passenger load. This is excellent news for savvy travelers.  In the last month we’ve seen a decrease in rates and fuel surcharges, but it’s hard for us to tell how long it’s going to last. Obviously it will depend on how the price of oil changes, but the airlines’ fiscal year ends with the first quarter, which is when they release new fares for the following year. Knowing that, we’d recommend that you buy your tickets for travel in 2009 as soon as possible, because it’s hard for us to know how they’ll restructure their pricing.  We saw that 2008 was a terrible year for the airlines, and with our 20+ years of experience in the airline industry, we know that they’re not going to be able to maintain these low prices for very long and keep flying.

Taking all of this into account, if you’re thinking of traveling in 2009, we’d advise you to lock in your tickets now while these low fares are available.  Availability at the lowest fares is always limited, and especially if you’re thinking of departing this summer, don’t leave it too late. While everyone else is hemming and hawing and wondering if they should wait to see if the airlines start giving tickets away for free, you can lock in a great fare for your tickets now, and be sitting pretty while the other guys are shelling out hundreds of dollars more later on this year when the economic upturn we’ve all been waiting for comes to pass. Booking accommodations and tours ahead of the curve will also help your bottom line, as we’ve seen incredibly great deals out there lately for that as well.

There’s no way to know exactly what the future holds, but we do know the fares we see now are pretty amazing compared to last January.  You’ve seen the crazy sales all the retail stores are having now – consider this the airlines’ version. The silver lining on the recession, if you will.  So seriously, stop thinking negative, and start thinking…Fiji! Bali! Thailand! India!

The post Get It While the Getting is Good appeared first on AirTreks Travel News.

If you are looking for a sign that it’s time to get out on the road again then this is one of them. We have an extensive global network of travel suppliers that we take advantage of to get you the best value for any Around the World or International Multi-Stop airfare you purchase from us. Currency fluctuations always present us with more opportunities. Our crack team of personal travel consultants are constantly looking for the best airfare deals on the planet.

The post A Dollar Goes Much Further Now appeared first on AirTreks Travel News.

In 2007, my wife and I planned our honeymoon and narrowed the choice down to Thailand and Bali. Each had its own unique appeal, which made our decision tougher. We only had about ten days for travel, so it was Bali that won us over. Both destinations deserve much more than ten days, but we decided we would rather have those ten short days of discovery in one small island rather than none at all.

Aside from a couple little snags, Bali provided us the tranquility we longed for after having endured the pressures from months of wedding preparation. It was important to us that we stay in more than one place to gain multiple experiences and get a feel for the differing local scenes and ways of living. One minor snag occurred during our arrival to the island, where we were met by four airport “officials” who worked in baggage and insisted on carrying our luggage. We kindly declined their help, while realizing they had already walked us 20 feet to the nearest currency exchange window in an effort to earn a couple dollars for their help. Although their persistence was evident, it did not cause us to think that everyone in Bali would try and provide this same type of “service”. So we declined, took our bags and were off to what would be two calming days at the Le Meridien Nirwana Golf & Spa Resort near the iconic Tanah Lot sea temple.

An advantage to staying on the coast 45 minutes northwest of Denpasar International Airport was that it further removed us from the hustle and bustle of Kuta, but still kept us in close proximity if we wanted to visit. The Le Meridien Nirwana contributes to the community by utilizing local farmers to care for the 30 hectares of serene rice terraces and splitting the proceeds among the villagers. The hotel offers an unforgettable bicycle tour that guides riders through a few miles of gently sloping rice paddies, a remote school with children in attendance, deserted beaches with six-foot rolling swells near Tabanan (without Bali’s ubiquitous surfers) and many villages that are as warm and inviting as grandmas place during the holidays. This is where villagers are busy kilning roof tiles, crafting pottery and tending the land – a great opportunity for a visitor to see firsthand the islanders hard at work.

Day three in Bali brought us closer to the beach scene in Seminyak, Kuta’s next door neighbor. Out of all of the places we could have stayed, we chose the beautiful villas of Sesari Bali. Sure it may seem a little over the top to have our own private swimming pool, but it was our honeymoon and it added a nice element of peacefulness compared to the busy areas that were just a few blocks away. We witnessed spectacular sunsets while lounging in the swagger of Ku De Ta, located on the northern beach of Seminyak. The restaurant-lounge is a hip place to see and be seen while savoring local and international foods that are presented like works of art. Ku De Ta helped end our memorable five day affair with the southwest side of Bali and then our journey moved along to the interior cultural center of Ubud.

When considering a visit to Bali, then the town of Ubud should arguably be at the top of your list. Ubud is Bali’s main heartbeat and cultural capital, and lead us to forget about the beaches and focus on the spirit of the people. There are a large number of local artisans (painters, sculptors, wood carvers etc.) who hone their craftsmanship there. We had the unique pleasure to walk by artists’ studios and witness one-of-a-kind pieces – this is art in its truest and liveliest form.

Our honeymoon’s remaining days were spent at the Como Shambhala property, Uma Ubud, next to Ubud’s adjoining lush forests. Misty mornings woke us to the soothing choir of jungle life. It was when we took a day trip to Mt. Batur that we ensured ourselves one of the most magnificent views on Bali: mountains terraced with rice paddies in every shade of green along with deep-lush valleys surrounded us.

Unfortunately, our last day in Bali was marred by an unpleasant food borne illness, which brought our honeymoon fun to a halt. Uma was a breath of fresh air in the way they cared for the two of us, even sending a well equipped doctor and his assistant to our bedside, getting us on the path to recovery. And as much as we dreaded returning to the airport, our departure could not have been more pleasant. The airline graciously upgraded our tickets to business class without us even requesting it. Even in illness, the local people continued to make our journey unforgettable and instilled us with the confidence that we would one day return to the tranquility of Bali.

Happy traveling!

“Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter.” — Izaak Walton

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