FROSCH is pleased to announce the launch of a new website: www.FROSCH.com. The December 2012 launch is the capstone of our 40th anniversary year and the culmination of our endeavor to deliver industry-leading expertise, service, and travel technology to our clients.

The new website’s sleek design offers an interactive experience and includes extensive information on our corporate travel program, a one-stop shop for travel resources, and access to up-to-the minute travel alerts.

Travel managers may use the new “Discussion Topics” section to ask questions and engage in dialogue with FROSCH travel experts. White papers featuring analyses of FROSCH’s approach to travel management challenges are also available for download on the new website.

FROSCH.com aligns and unites the company’s business segments, functioning as a nerve center for information on corporate, leisure, and specialty travel, our global network of suppliers, and career opportunities. Complementing the new website is FROSCH’s two-year-old blog, FROSCH Insider, which provides a first-hand view of the travel industry’s latest developments and serves as a hub for the company’s social media community.

The new website runs on a WordPress platform and was designed in-house by FROSCH’s marketing team out of New York City and Houston.

Contact marketing@frosch.com with questions or feedback.

We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Summit Travel Group, a trio of travel agencies in the Bay Area. FROSCH and Summit Travel Group are both known for expertise in luxury travel and high-touch corporate travel with the same superior level of customer care.

Bryan Leibman, President and CEO of FROSCH, says, “We share the same approach to the business. We’re both privately owned companies that believe in and follow an individual, personalized approach. Our dedication to the individual traveler – whether corporate or leisure – is what makes us so compatible. In addition, the merger will bring enhanced negotiating strength to both agencies. This is very important in making sure our clients get the best possible value; they can relax knowing that no one can deliver more for the dollar. Summit’s corporate customers will now benefit from our proactive account management program, industry leading technologies, 24/7 in-house emergency service, and a global network representing forty-four countries. They can be assured that our dedicated reporting, automation, and online booking teams will assist agents and account managers to ensure we deliver best in class, customized service to the most discerning of corporate clientele.”

Dan Freeman and Ed Phillips, co-Managing Directors of Summit Travel Group, headquartered in San Mateo, California, are excited about the acquisition. Phillips says, “The combination of FROSCH and Summit Travel Group reinforces for our clients Summit’s unrelenting commitment to quality, service and value that has characterized our organization and people for nearly 50 years. As we move forward together, we will remain faithful to our core values: respect, integrity and excellence.”

Forty years ago, Frosch Travel (“FROSCH”) was founded by Edna Frosch in Houston, Texas as an upscale leisure agency. When Richard Leibman bought the company in 1977, his goal was to diversify FROSCH to focus on corporate, leisure, and group travel. It all served his vision – to take FROSCH to new heights.

Since these humble origins, FROSCH has grown to become one of the leading travel management companies in the country. Corporate travel accounts for two thirds of our business, with the remaining third distributed amongst our leisure, group, event management, marine and offshore, VIP services, and rewards and incentives divisions. FROSCH has become a leading brand for the financial, legal, energy, retail, and entertainment sectors looking for a partner who has experience and understands their special needs.

In an industry that continues to evolve, FROSCH continues to thrive. We have grown from 500 employees in 2008 to over 1100 in 2012. As we have grown, our focus remains on providing the finest service in the industry for discerning travelers. To do so, we incorporate all leading technologies and leverage our supplier relationships and overall spend – over one billion dollars in total sales – to ensure the very best experiences and value propositions for our esteemed clients. We continue to cultivate a family culture committed to each and every customer and employee to preserve the most favorable relationships.

In addition to growth related to hiring and acquisitions in the United States, FROSCH recently brought on teams in both France and Israel, key destinations for our leisure and group clients. These on-site operators complement our extensive network of hotels and tour companies, ensuring an even higher quality of service for our clients. In the coming years, we aim to expand this resource to other areas of the world.

As we continue to grow, we draw on our decades of experience to define ourselves as the travel management company of choice by delivering industry-leading expertise and service to our customers, as well as creative solutions and the most memorable experiences. We will build on the tremendous pride our employees have in all they have accomplished, and we will continue to honor our core values in doing so.

Where will the next forty years take us? We’ll be sure to let you know and invite you to journey with us.

Robb Report magazine and travel management firm Frosch have joined forces to provide travel experiences for Robb Report readers.

The agreement provides the brand’s growing global digital and print readership with an opportunity to further immerse themselves in the experiential elements of the luxury world’s travel sector. Innovative voyages and one-of-a-kind excursions developed by Frosch will be offered exclusively to this audience.

“After extensive exploration and research, we chose to partner with Frosch because of their experience and understanding of our unique audience’s propensity and requirement for true luxury in travel,” said William J. Curtis, CEO of Robb Report parent company CurtCo Media. “An array of Frosch and Robb Report’s adventures will be accessible through the domestic and international platforms that Robb Report offers — from websites to tablet and phone applications, as well as through 10 international print editions of Robb Report worldwide.”

Frosch president and CEO Bryan Leibman said the Robb Report brand conveys an unparalleled level of “leadership and overall excellence in the luxury marketplace. They are the ideal partner with which to associate our brand. Accordingly, these new travel journeys illustrate our dedication to the unique individuals who appreciate the finest in life throughout the world.”

Houston, TX May 7, 2013 – Ernst & Young LLP today announced the finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2013 Award in the Gulf Coast Area. The awards program recognizes high growth entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. These finalists were selected from nearly 70 nominations by a panel of independent judges.

Click here to read the official press release from Ernst & Young LLP

We are excited to share with you that FROSCH topped Business Travel News’ 2013 Survey as the TMC with the highest organic growth rate, while retaining our position as #5 in the top 10 for number of ARC transactions.

Please click on the link below for the full article, including comments from Bryan Leibman (FROSCH President & CEO) regarding our growth.

Click to read the full article: http://www.thebeat.travel/post/2013/06/20/Frosch-World-Travel-Highest-Growth-Rates.aspx

New York (August 8, 2013) – FROSCH has appointed Judith A. Allen as Executive Vice President of Global Operations.

“In her new role, Judith Allen furthers our investment in global operations. Her expertise will continue to increase FROSCH’s leading position in an industry that relies on high touch service and leading technology. She is a perfect fit within our brand,” says FROSCH President & CEO, Bryan Leibman.

“I am thrilled to be joining such a forward thinking, client and employee focused organization. Working with the excellent teams at FROSCH and partnering with our clients, my goal is to leverage my expertise to continue to build ‘Leading Class’ managed travel programs while staying committed to highly elevated standards of performance and service for our customers,” says Allen.

Bringing 27 years of travel industry experience, Judith Allen will join FROSCH from Carlson Wagonlit Travel, where she most recently served as Vice President of CWT Energy, Resource Marine-The Americas, handling multi-national and global accounts while ensuring high client retention and award-winning client satisfaction. Allen possesses extensive knowledge in client program implementation, consolidation and optimization, with proven success in various fields, including operations, account management, technology, training, project management and strategic leadership on a local, national and global level.

Founded in 1972, FROSCH has seen an average growth of 30 percent per year since 1998 and has become a billion-dollar, privately held travel management company with over 1100 qualified professionals nationwide.

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ABOUT FROSCH:
Frosch Travel (FROSCH) is a privately owned travel management company headquartered in New York City, New York and Houston, Texas. Founded in 1972, FROSCH was established with a focus on deluxe leisure and corporate travel. Since 1998, the company has expanded by an average of 30% per year, both through internal growth, as well as through strategic acquisitions. FROSCH maintains offices nationwide, placing it among the top ten agencies in the U. S., with dedicated divisions for corporate travel, leisure travel, group travel, global services, and rewards & incentives. FROSCH is a member of the Signature Travel Network consortium, which providing resources, technology and marketing for member agencies. FROSCH is also a leading shareholder of GSM Travel Management (GSM) – a global corporate travel management company with a presence currently in 44 markets and growing, servicing international offices with high standards and technological proficiencies. For more information, visit www.frosch.com.

For More Information, Contact:
FROSCH
Jaclyn Gaffaney/Myriad Marketing
310.545.4200
Jaclyn@myriadmarketing.com

New York (September 23, 2013) – FROSCH has recently named Louis M. Moran as Executive Vice President of Technology Services.

“I am excited to join an organization like FROSCH that has its eye on the future of travel management. Leveraging my family background in travel and extensive career in technology, my goal is to creatively merge the two areas in order to provide the seamless experience today’s agents and travelers expect,” says Moran.

An industry veteran, Louis Moran joins FROSCH from Protravel International where he most recently served as Chief Technology Officer for over eight years. Prior to Protravel, he fulfilled the position of Senior Systems Administrator at Lawyers Travel where he implemented and managed innovative changes to the organization’s systems and networks.

FROSCH President and CEO, Bryan Leibman states, “As we continue to expand our global operations and set industry leading service standards for our independent contractors, as well as our corporate, leisure and groups and meetings business units, it is critical that we invest in and enhance our leadership team. With his extensive industry expertise, Louis will be a terrific addition to the team.”

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ABOUT FROSCH:
Frosch Travel (FROSCH) is a privately owned travel management company headquartered in New York City, New York and Houston, Texas. Founded in 1972, FROSCH was established with a focus on deluxe leisure and corporate travel. Since 1998, the company has expanded by an average of 30% per year, both through internal growth as well as through strategic acquisitions. FROSCH maintains offices nationwide, placing it among the top ten agencies in the U. S., with dedicated divisions for corporate travel, leisure travel, group travel, global services, and rewards & incentives. FROSCH is a member of the Signature Travel Network consortium, which provides resources, technology and marketing for member agencies. FROSCH is also a leading shareholder of GSM Travel Management (GSM) – a global corporate travel management company with a presence currently in 44 countries and growing, servicing international offices with high standards and technological proficiencies. For more information, visit www.frosch.com.

FROSCH has named Marc Kazlauskas President of Leisure, effective March 3, 2014.

Kazlauskas stated: “I am thrilled to be joining such a dynamic and world-class travel company. I look forward to working with the exceptional FROSCH team and our outstanding supplier partners. It’s an exciting time to be aligning myself with such a respected company and to help grow FROSCH exponentially over the next few years, while ensuring we continue to deliver the outstanding service and standards FROSCH is renowned for.”

Kazlauskas joins FROSCH from Insight Vacations, where he was President for the last 12 years. While at Insight, Kazlauskas was responsible for growing the business over 200%, winning several industry awards and accolades, and playing a central role as Insight grew and expanded its leadership in the Premium and Luxury escorted tour business. Before joining Insight, Kazlauskas held senior executive positions at Tauck, Trafalgar, and Orient Lines.  During his 20 years in the industry, Kazlauskas has always been a staunch advocate for the agency channel and established many programs and seminars on educating the trade on sales, marketing, customer service and strategic planning.

Bryan Leibman, President & CEO of FROSCH, commented: “I have the utmost regard for Marc and his leadership ability.  I have been tremendously impressed by his strength of character, reputation and significant accomplishments. We are very excited to welcome him. “

Kazlauskas will be based in the company’s New York office when he joins FROSCH on March 3, 2014.

FROSCH has acquired Florida-based Adventure Travels of Pompano Beach, Inc.

In operation since 1965, Adventure Travels is a proud member of Signature Travel Network and one of the industry’s leading cruise producers with accolades from various cruise lines, including Carnival, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, and Royal Caribbean Cruises.

“Adventure Travels has a stellar reputation in the industry, and we are delighted to be a part of their progression. We look forward to building upon Bill’s efforts for the past 48 years in Florida where Adventure Travels has demonstrated an unrelenting commitment to quality, service and professionalism,” Bryan Leibman, president and CEO of FROSCH, said.

Bill Cooper, owner and president of Adventure Travels, cited FROSCH’s state-of-the-art technology and expertise that will help provide further benefits and services to clients.

The agreement takes effect in January 2014.

New York (March 20, 2014) – Travel management company, FROSCH, has acquired Willett Travel, effective April 2014.

“Our growth over the past twenty seven years is an accomplishment of which I am extremely proud, but nothing compares to the honor I feel knowing that Willett Travel has earned a wonderful reputation for its integrity, professionalism, and consideration of clients and staff alike,” says Tama Taylor Holve, owner of Willett Travel.

Holve continues, “Like so many industries, change is constant in travel. To join a great company with superior technology, ‘economy of scale’ benefits to both clients and staff, is a welcome, necessary change.  To become part of FROSCH, owned by the respected Leibman Family, and have these business tools and supportive FROSCH team members is wonderful – that FROSCH embraces the same values of integrity, professionalism and caring that have been the foundation of Willett Travel is a gift.”

Bryan Leibman, President & CEO of FROSCH adds, “Willett Travel has earned a tremendous reputation in the industry over the past 70 years. Tama Taylor Holve and the whole Willett Team have garnered much respect and friendship from their travel partners and clients, and we are proud to stand with her legacy moving forward.”

Established in 1943, Willett Travel is one of Los Angeles’ oldest agencies, with owner Tama Taylor Holve and her great team continuing a long tradition of dedication to service built on a solid foundation and enhanced with today’s technology and expertise. Through the ensuing years, Willett became experts in touring and production travel for the entertainment industry.  While Willett’s client list may read like a list of “Who’s Who,” its focus remained clear — treat every client like a celebrity.

From 1987, when the present ownership began, the company has grown from a staff of 9 to 65, and from $2.5M in sales to nearly $25M.  Willett has received numerous honors through the years, including being named “The Number One, Woman Owned Business in the San Fernando Valley” by the Los Angeles Business Journal and chosen as the “Best Travel Agency in the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County” in the Los Angeles
Times Readers’ Poll.

New York (June 6, 2014) – In an effort to increase value and services to its clients, FROSCH has named Steve Sedgwick its new Vice President of Concur Platform Services & Sales. The travel management company has tapped Sedgwick to assist in the growth of their technology partnership with Concur, a leading provider of integrated travel and expense management solutions.

According to FROSCH President & CEO, Bryan Leibman, “FROSCH has to be prepared for any change the industry may bring, and Concur can help with this vision through its application program interfacing (API) partners, TripLink, and the suite of technology services they can provide our customers. The time was right to create a position that focused on Steve’s expertise, depth of relationships and understanding of the Concur platform.”

With 30 years of experience helping corporations manage their travel, Sedgwick brings unique insight and perspective to the FROSCH team. “In the last 20 months, the industry has seen a new shift in the way corporations are procuring travel,” Sedgwick said. “I’m very excited to be working with Bryan and the FROSCH team as they share the same passion for helping corporate clients successfully manage their travel.”

The Concur ecosystem will have hundreds of technology partners connected by a common platform and API’s that will bring new services, flexibility, and unique value to corporate clients. FROSCH looks forward to taking a leading role in the future of managing 100% of its corporate clients’ travel, regardless of the distribution channel. Fundamental services such as travel policy compliance (pre- and post-ticketing), quality control audits, and increased reporting visibility are all services that will be rolled out in the next several months.

The 2014 Business Travel News Survey ranked FROSCH #3 in the country based on the number of ARC transactions made in 2013.

“TMCs Ups…

During 2013, most TMCs participating in the ARC-verified program of sharing transaction and sales data with BTN experienced another year of growth. For some, that came from both organic expansion – new clients and greater activity among existing clients – and acquisitions.

Travel management company Frosch, for example, for 2013 posted a 17 percent jump in ARC transactions and a 21 percent increase in sales, resulting from ‘a mix of acquisitions and organic growth across our business units,’ according to president and CEO Bryan Leibman. He noted a late 2012 purchase of a majority interest in Globalpoint Travel Solutions, and some smaller agency additions during 2013.”

Click here to read the full text of the article. 

Here at FROSCH, we know the best hotel advice comes from your travel consultant – in most cases, they have “stayed there, seen that.” But sometimes, you are just so excited about your trip, you want to read all about others’ experiences. You pull up the TripAdvisor app on your iPhone and browse through others’ opinions and advice for the hotel you just cannot wait to get to. It can sometimes be hard to parse a wide range of points of view. Did you ever wonder how many of the reviews are truthful and from actual travelers?

TripAdvisor has recently come under fire for marketing all of their reviews as “truthful.” Unfortunately, this is not the case – there is no process of verification for any reviews posted to the site and thus, fake comments to sabotage or boost business often appear. The Advertising Standards Authority conducted a four month investigation to determine whether or not it was possible for non-genuine content to be posted and the results confirmed their suspicions. Other user-review oriented sites, like Yelp (and even Amazon, surprisingly), face the same difficulties.

We’ve compiled a list of some helpful tips to ensure you are not misled by a fake review:

Discuss your hotel choice with your travel consultant extensively.
They will have the most well-informed advice for you including insider tips and information. If your travel consultant is not directly familiar with the property, there is sure to be someone in their office that is.

Take note of the writing style.
Over-use of verbs, adverbs and pronouns has been found by Cornell University researchers to be a hint of a fake review. Often, when a traveler is reviewing a hotel they have personally stayed at, they will talk about the hotel and their experience during their stay. Fake reviews often include extra information or unrelated tangents, like shopping nearby and who they “traveled” with. Also, keep in mind that extremely short reviews full of adverbs are quick ways to boost a property’s rating.

Exclamation points all over the place!!
In most cases, the reviewer is not that excited about their hotel stay. Sure, it may have been a fantastic experience, but how often do you use exclamation points in your emails? Forced enthusiasm is easy to spot in a review and is a sure sign the review is not truthful.

Lots of mentions of the hotel name.
Numerous mentions of a company, in this case, the hotel name, are thought to boost search rankings. Repeating the proper name of the hotel numerous times within a single review is another sure sign of a fake review.

Museums are a great way to beat the summer heat and escape into a world of air-conditioned wonders. But experienced travelers can sometimes get the “been there, done that” effect—after all, you can only see the Mona Lisa so many times before you start to wonder what else is out there. For those who have covered the list of guide book-recommended museums and monuments of your destination, hone your museum-going experience this summer to explore some of these weird and quirky hidden gems. Whether you’re a budding apiarist, a dog lover, a die-hard Trekkie, or simply wondering what happens when you flush your toilet, there’s something out there for every curious mind!

Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, New Delhi, India
Why and how do toilets vary around the world? Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak offers some answers to this somewhat taboo topic at the Sulabh International Museum of Toilets in New Delhi. Exhibits trace the evolution of the loo and the essential role it has played in the hygiene history.

The Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum, Osaka, Japan
A staple of broke college students worldwide, instant noodles have a surprisingly diverse backstory. Here at the Instant Ramen Museum, you can take part in an interactive workshop where you’ll learn how to stretch, steam, and fry the noodles or create your own flavor concoction.

The International Mustard Museum, Middleton, WI
There really is a museum for everything. Love that tangy zing of mustard on your sandwich? Head to Middleton, Wisconsin to celebrate America’s favorite condiment. There’s an exhibit on international mustard traditions, a tasting bar with free samples, and a large gift shop. And if you’re lucky enough to be in the area in early August, you can join mustard lovers to help celebrate National Mustard day!

Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station, Vulcan, Alberta, Canada
Vulcan, Alberta has embraced its Star Trek connection by building a spaceship-shaped museum dedicated to the show.  Check out fascinating show memorabilia, learn a bit of Vulcan or Klingon, and spend a moment sitting in Captain Kirk’s chair.

Sewer Museum, Paris, France
You’ve come to love the streets of Paris, now find out what lies beneath. Paris developed its first sewage system more than 600 years ago.  Learn about the history of the sewers and how it transformed the city, and explore a portion of the tunnels that are in use today. Inquisitive kids will love it—but be prepared to hold your nose!

Hall of Flame, Phoenix, Arizona
The Hall of Flame pays homage to the history of firefighting. Kids and adults alike will marvel at the vintage fire trucks and a gallery of photographs dedicated to wilderness firefighting. Pay your respects to fallen firefighters at the National Hall of Heroes.

Leeds Castle Dog Collar Museum, Kent, England
Is your pooch a beloved member of your family? You might be surprised to learn that dogs enjoyed the same status even during medieval times. At Leeds castle, where six former queens lived, dogs are part of history. The castle’s houses a collection of canine paraphernalia, dedicated to the 500-year history of hunting and gun dogs, guard dogs and pet dogs that lived there.

Museum of Bad Art, Boston, Massachusetts
If you’ve visited the Louvre, the Met, and the Tate, you may have wondered, “what makes art, art?” The proprietors of the Museum of Bad Art have answered this question in their own way by assembling a collection of 500 pieces of “painfully hideous” art at three Boston locations. Categories include “Unlikely Landscapes,” “Unseen Force,” and “Blue People.”

Museum of Apiculture, Radovljica, Slovenia
The ancient art and science of beekeeping is the subject of this charming museum in a 14th century manor house in Radofljica. On display are exhibits depicting the importance of this industry to Slovenia’s folk history, as well as a collection of unique bee- and honey-themed art.

International Spy Museum, Washington, D.C.
The world of espionage has been an intriguing mystery for generations. At the International Spy Museum, you can experience a taste of spycraft for yourself! The museum features interactive exhibits covering the covert role of espionage throughout American history. The true highlight of this museum is the Spy School, where you can learn about disguise, surveillance, and gadgets, then try it out yourself in a roleplaying experience.

Airberlin is working hard to become the airline of choice for business travelers. In March, the airline announced a new program called,“Airberlin Business Benefits.” The program will include three separate products: the already established Business Points program, a new product called Business Pro, and Business Prime, an improved corporate rate model.

The Business Points program is available to small and medium-sized companies and allows travelers to collect valuable points on behalf of their company, which can later be `redeemed for future flights or upgrades. Currently, more than 15,000 companies participate in the program, which is constantly being improved and expanded.

The Business Pro program is available to all companies – from small law firms to large corporations – as long as individual spend with Airberlin exceeds EUR 15,000 per year. The Business Pro program allows travelers increased flexibility on flights within Europe for a small fee. Members enjoy a waived rebooking fee when changing travel dates on a purchased ticket, as well as a discounted cancellation charge, and an expanded European route network with Airberlin partners, Alitalia, Finnair, Iberia and S7.

The Airberlin Business Prime program offers a customized service, tailored to the member’s volume of travel. Members enjoy all of the same benefits available to companies registered with the Business Pro program, as well as special fares on European and long-haul flights with partners Etihad Airways and American Airlines.

Airberlin has recently been growing in popularity among business travelers, and the airline clearly plans to capitalize on the market by sweetening their product offering for both corporations and travelers. The airline’s new Business Class, which includes a fully adjustable lie-flat seat and personalized service is now installed across the entire fleet of Airbus A330s. The Business Class cabin is configured in a staggered configuration so each seat is either on the aisle or next to a window.  If you can score a window seat, go for it, as the seat has much more privacy than its aisle counterparts.

British Airways recently filed a patent application for a number of cabin innovations. Last year, BA filed for a “tetris-style” seating patent, invented by Nigel Goode of Priestmangoode Design in London. The more recent patent application is accredited to Peter Cooke, Design Lead at British Airways.

Within the application, a complex seat fastening system is presented, which allows for flexible cabin configurations where a variety of seat structures can be placed together in the same cabin space. Also included are new reclining seats for economy class that can be configured in pairs, with one facing forward and the second facing the back of the plane. A proposed meeting cabin is also included, allowing passengers traveling in groups to sit on opposite sides of a table.

Since the introduction of Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi in 2008, the cost of Wi-Fi has slowly crept upwards. The increased prices have been used as a way to discourage a large number of people from actually using the Wi-Fi, since more people will decrease its speed. So how are airlines increasing their Wi-Fi speeds?

Gogo’s first technology improvement, called ATG-4, has slowly been rolling out to airline partners since 2012. The improvement process includes the installation of two upgraded radio systems on the plane’s underside, which bond into a single 10 Mbps signal. As of right now, only 53 of 650 of Gogo’s 2,100 partner aircraft have the update in place. However, half of the equipped planes should be updated by the end of this year.

But that’s not all. In January, Gogo received approval from the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) to add satellite service either as a solo offering or in conjunction with ground-based communications. Gogo expects to certify its 2Ku offering this year and begin installations in 2016. The 2Ku product will include two separate phase-array systems, rather than the fully electronic system previously used by Boeing in its Connexion system. The Connexion system led to mechanical failure, added weight (increased fuel cost), and took weeks to install. Thus, to better adjust the plane’s antenna beamforming, Gogo opted for a mechanical system. The new mechanical system allows for greater deployment of satellite-backed access, so the service should spread to more planes. Delta recently announced that it would implement 2Ku on 250 of its aircraft.

Currently, most systems offer speeds ranging from 500 Kbps to 12 Mbps. The new satellites will dramatically increase this speed to 50 to 80 Mbps per plane, depending on the satellite and provider. Gogo is citing a speed of 70 Mbps initially, promising higher rates when spot-beam satellites come online in the future. Spot-beam satellites will be able to pinpoint planes using the same kind of beamforming seen on the tops of aircraft to pinpoint satellites. Additionally, Gogo plans to use a hybrid approach over the U.S. and Canada. The approach will reduce latency by taking downstream access from the satellite and pushing data from the plane back to the Internet through its ground service.

Unfortunately, major Wi-Fi changes throughout different airlines will not be seen until 2018 or 2019. However, little by little, Wi-Fi speeds will continue to improve in the future.

Celebrity Cruises partnered with Bravo and their award-winning television show, Top Chef, to bring cruisers a tantalizing “Top Chef” experience at sea. During each of its signature sailings, fans enjoy an exclusive taste of the well-known series with enhanced culinary experiences for foodies and globetrotters alike. The chefs offer complimentary cooking demonstrations, tastings, and private cooking classes.

As part of the partnership, 10 Celebrity ships also will be adding Quickfire Challenges, in which passengers can compete against fellow guests in a series of cooking challenges, just like chef contestants on the show. On “Top Chef Night,” guests will be treated to special menus featuring dishes that received rave reviews from the judging panel of the popular show.

“Top Chef” sailings are set to begin in July to destinations including Alaska, Europe, and the Caribbean. Passengers aboard these sailings are sure to have a lot to dish about when they return!

European river cruise giant, Viking Cruises, announced plans to make New Orleans its first North American home port for Mississippi River cruises, which are expected to start sailing by late 2017. Many are seeing the announcement as a great opportunity to broaden awareness, increase tourism and revenue, and create new jobs on one of the most charming rivers imaginable. Viking plans on constructing six boats at U.S. shipyards over the next three years, each capable of hosting up to 300 passengers. The cruise line plans to release complete itineraries and ship designs for the new Mississippi route later this year. The boats will dock near the French Quarter in New Orleans, and then travelers will head north to Memphis, St. Louis, or St. Paul depending on the season.

The popularity of river cruising has exploded in recent years, offering a more traditional alternative to experience cruising and a more destination-oriented focus with the ability to access port cities that larger ships could never reach. Currently, only two other companies have a stake on the Mississippi River market—American Queen Steamboat Co. and American Cruise Lines.