Menno Traveler
Combine your accounts
Marriott Rewards, SPG, and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards now offer you booking, earning and redeeming at all hotels across all participating brands. Starting now, you only need one account to access these elevated benefits.
Even better, when you combine accounts your SPG and Rewards balance may instantly elevate you to a new Elite status. You’re almost ready to combine accounts! But first, please review the important information below.

                                              See more information (here)
1. Will my accounts automatically merge?
No. Combining your Rewards and SPG accounts is an action that you must take. It won’t happen automatically, even if you’ve previously linked your accounts.

2. Why should I combine my accounts?
When you combine your accounts, you’ll have one single account login and profile. All of your eligible stays and points will be in one account. Your combined nights will maximize your benefits and could elevate you to a new Elite status.

3. How do I combine my accounts? 
It’s easy! Before you combine your accounts, make sure you have your login information for both your Rewards and SPG accounts handy. Select the program that you want to start from and follow the step-by-step instructions.

To combine starting with your SPG account, begin here: https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/merge-my-accounts.mi?program=spg

To combine starting with your Rewards account, begin here: https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/merge-my-accounts.mi?program=marriott

4. What login information will I use after I combine my accounts? 
Once you combine, you will have one single account login (email/member number and password) and profile across Marriott.com, SPG.com and our mobile apps. For example, if you started the account combine process from your SPG profile, you will keep that profile. This will be your account and login moving forward.

If applicable update in Deem/Concur or E-mail Menno Travel (here) with your new number.

Southwest Airlines to increase early boarding fee on some flights

Southwest Airlines increased its early boarding fee on some flights.

EarlyBird Check-In, which gives travelers a better boarding position in Southwest’s unique open seating system, will go from a flat $15 per person each way to $15, $20 or $25 depending on the length of the flight and the popularity of EarlyBird Check-In on the route. The switch to variable pricing, unveiled to employees Friday and was formally announced Monday, begins Aug. 29.

Southwest, which famously doesn’t assign seats, introduced Early-Bird Check-In in 2009, charging $10 each way. It went up to $12.50 and then to $15 in 2016.

Read Full Article (here)

In Case You Missed it:

REAL ID Act REMINDER – What you need to know!

Some of you won’t be able to use your state-issued driver’s license to board a domestic flight after October 10, 2018.

For travelers with a driver’s license issued in: Alaska, California, Guam, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington an extension has been granted through October 10, 2018, allowing travel with state-issued driver’s licenses. IF AN EXTENSION IS NOT GRANTED YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE TO BOARD A DOMESTIC FLIGHT, ON OCTOBER 11, 2018!!!

The only way to board a plane will be with your passport. If you do not have a passport, you should begin the application process immediately. Summer is a very busy time for the passport office and it can take up to two months to get a passport.

The state of Indiana is compliant with the REAL ID act so no action is needed at this time.

Click on this link (here) to see the map above and see information on all 50 states.

You will now need to use an expedited service to get a passport by 
October 11, 2018.Please call Geof Landis with any questions (574) 534-1521
Keep moving. TSA Pre✓® saves you time and stress. Use the following link to set up an appointment and apply for Pre✓®.
Sign up (here)
JetBlue to charge $30 for first checked bag; will others follow?JetBlue Airways is raising baggage fees, becoming the first major airline to charge $30 for the first checked bag.

Beginning with tickets purchased Monday, Aug. 27, the airline will charge customers buying its cheapest “Blue” fares $30 for the first bag and $40 for the second. The current charges are $25 and $35, which is standard at other major carriers. A third bag will be $150, up from $100.

JetBlue’s more-expensive “Blue Plus” and “Blue Flex” fares include at least one checked bag at no charge, as do fares for the airline’s “Mint” business-class service.

The new fees are listed on the airline’s online baggage fees chart.

Also increasing: change fees. JetBlue’s change fees for its Blue and Blue Plus fares vary based on the total fare paid but will now top out at $200 per person per ticket – up from the previous maximum of $150.

Read full article (here)

*In the past few days, United, Air Canada, and WestJet have also announced they will be increasing their fees for checked bags
Fake Hotel Website Scams Target Travelers and Hotels

Cybercriminals will take advantage of any situation that separates people from their money. And what better way than to purport to be a reputable hotel and take reservations?
The recent example in Turkey covered below demonstrates how far cybercriminals are willing to go to setup their scam.
In this newest scam, fake hotel websites are setup (in some cases even copying a hotels entire website!) using as many as 50 domain names similar to the hotel’s brand name. These scammers are so good at what they do, in many cases, their fake websites ranked higher in natural search listings than the real hotel’s website.
Travelers book and pay for their travel, and find out only when they show up at the hotel, who has no idea about the traveler, let alone a reservation.

You can avoid this problem by booking your hotels with Menno Travel.
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Menno Spotlight:

How to Maximize Your Time Off for Your Career

When was the last time you gleaned insight from staring at your cubicle wall? What was the latest bright idea that came to you during your monotonous commute? Drawing a blank? It’s not you; it’s your work routine.

I have nothing against a good daily routine, but when routines turn into ruts, a change of pace can make all the difference. You don’t need to look far for a change: considering most Americans leave vacation time unused, I’m guessing you have a day or six to spare.

Stealing away from the workplace grind for a period of thought and reflection is a practice implemented by various business leaders, most notably Bill Gates. Gates’ well-publicized, semi-annual “think weeks” spent away from the distractions of work, friends, and even family have helped Microsoft stay ahead of industry trends like the “internet tidal wave” in 1995.

Admittedly, Gates’ think weeks weren’t exactly vacations in the way you and I think of them. They were occasions for him to digest feedback from company employees and sift through dozens of ideas about the future of the tech industry.

The key is that Gates spent his think weeks in a vacation cottage nestled amongst cedar trees, far from the distractions and stresses of the workplace. He understands that breaking up the monotony of the daily work routine helps him face challenges with a fresh perspective.

 

Article from Project Time Off (here)
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Important Dates to Remember for this Fall:

Notre Dame Home Schedule:
September 15th: Notre Dame vs. Vanderbilt
September 29th: Notre Dame vs. Stanford
October 13th: Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh
November 10th: Notre Dame vs. Florida State

Elkhart RV Show:
September 24-27th

A reminder that flights to and from the South Bend International Airport will be particularly busy in the days leading up to these events and spots will fill up fast. We suggest that you book tickets, hotels and cars surrounding these dates as far in advance as possible.
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