20 SPECIAL FEATURE ADVERTORIAL TRANSPORT Hall 2.1 Stand 200 More Flights From Frankfurt to Baltimore/ Washington International Condor Airlines recently announced that, from summer 2015, it will add a third weekly flight between Frankfurt and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. In July 2012, the German airline launched a seasonal, twice weekly service between the two markets on Mondays and Thursdays. The airline is now adding Saturday flights to its schedule. “The additional service from Condor highlights our growing international travel market,” said Paul J. Wiedefeld, CEO for BWI Marshall Airport. “We remain focused on expanding our global travel and trade opportunities.” Winter Park Resort Amtrak Excursion Train to Celebrate Resort’s 75 th Anniversary Amtrak, America’s intercity passenger rail service and highspeed rail operator, is teaming up with renowned Colorado ski area, Winter Park Resort, to operate a Winter Park Express excursion train between Denver and Winter Park on March 14, 2015. “Winter Park Resort’s very creation was predicated on the railroad, so it’s only fitting that we celebrate our 75th anniversary with this one-day return,” said resort president and COO Gary DeFrange. Rather than enduring the endless traffic on the way to the slopes, Amtrak passengers can enjoy the journey on the historic Union Pacific Railroad route, with the Winter Park Express stopping at the resort after passing through the landmark Moffat Tunnel. “Passengers riding this train to ski will have a brief chance to sample the comfort and reliability of Amtrak – America’s Railroad,” said Mark Murphy, the Chicagobased Amtrak General Manager responsible for the excursion, which shares part of the route of the daily Amtrak California Zephyr to and from Denver. The Winter Park Express will pick up passengers from Denver Union Station at 7 a.m. local time and arrive at the resort two hours later. Passengers that purchase the roundtrip adult fare, will receive a voucher to use at the restaurants and stores at Winter Park Resort. Formerly known as Friendship International Airport, the Maryland mainstay is undergoing enhancements to its already improved passenger facilities, and increased contact with the heart of Europe should help maintain its position as a key East Coast terminus. BWI Marshall - whose international passenger traffic has grown steadily in recent years - will benefit from galvanizing its friendship with Germany’s busiest airport. Not only is Frankfurt an important international destination and a key European hub, the city is also a leading international centre for finance, commerce, transportation, and tourism. The added Condor service will utilize a Boeing 767-300 aircraft with 259 seats and offer three classes of service—Business, Premium Economy and Economy. The airline offers in-seat entertainment in all classes and fully-automatic, comfortable reclining seats in Condor Business Class – making this the perfect vehicle for BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport to extend its influence across the Atlantic. The Butterfly Earns its Wings Papillion celebrates 50 years in the air When Elling Halvorson’s company used its first helicopter to carry construction workers into the Grand Canyon during the 1960s, the extraordinary panoramic views were not lost on its passengers: during downtime they started to request charter flights, simply to experience one of the USA’s most rugged and spectacular landmarks from this unique viewpoint. Halvorson obliged, and Papillon was born. The company would make history by becoming one of the first aerial sightseeing companies in the world, and the first to fly the Grand Canyon. In 1965, Papillon had three helicopters, two pilots and Unique access to Colorado’s spectacular scenery serviced 1,000 passengers. Now, with a fleet of 73 aircraft, 200 pilots and 600,000 annual clients, the company has metamorphosed beyond recognition. “I don’t think there’s any one secret to success,” says Elling Halvorson. “It is being able to see an opportunity and having the courage to act on it.” This courage has been coupled with a drive for innovation – developing quiet technology for helicopters, thus minimising the environmental impact, and co-founding the Tour Operators Program Of Safety – strict regulations that exceed Federal Aviation Administration standards. Another key factor in the company’s success is the way it has remained a family business. “Papillon’s 50th anniversary is a great source of pride for my family. Our legacy is our greatest asset moving forward,” says Elling’s daughter, Brenda Halvorson, who became President/CEO in 1993. Having flown almost 100 million miles in the past 50 years, this butterfly has definitely earned its wings – and there are several special offers and promotions for tourists in this golden anniversary year. ITB BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 4 th March 2015 www.itb-berlin-news.com
TRANSPORT SPECIAL FEATURE 21 Car Rental + Car Sharing …Yes You Can Sixt revolutionises the car rental offering with innovative ideas for the future Things don’t stand still at Sixt, as the company works on the mobility of the future by adapting its products and services to the changing mobility needs of customers. We asked Regine Sixt - Senior Executive Vice President - Sixt International where the new sweet spots are… An example of this is our premium carsharing product DriveNow, which provides a definite answer to customers’ needs – especially in big cities, where it’s growing ever more popular. Our aim is to offer premium vehicles and the best possible services coupled with an attractive price-performance ratio. By doing that we are winning over customers in more than 100 countries around the world. What are the greatest challenges in the car rental business today and how are you addressing them? The greatest challenge has always been the same: to fulfil our customers’ particular needs as fully as possible. Today we achieve that using innovative technologies. People want to obtain the vehicle of their choice regardless of when and where. That makes Internet and mobile rentals increasingly important. We’ve kept closely abreast of these developments and in just a few mouseclicks our customers can find out about our services and organise their travel. People don’t want to spend much time thinking about whether to travel by carsharing, rental car or leased vehicle – they just want to get quickly and easily from A to B. We offer the right solutions for that such as our Sixt unlimited flat rate rentals, with which our customers can use a vehicle of their choice at more than 600 stations throughout Europe for a fixed monthly rate. This has clear benefits for frequent travellers because it means they’re able to cover almost all their mobility needs. Sixt continues to expand globally. What is your strategy in this respect? The USA is currently at the centre of our activities and we’re driving expansion in the United States hard. We’re also delighted with the way things are developing there. We already have more than 50 branches at major destinations including Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. But we will also continue to expand our market position in Europe and offer our customers comprehensive services. What will be your key messages to the travel professionals at ITBBerlin 2015? ITBBerlin has been a fixed item on our calendar for many years because it provides such a wonderful and important opportunity to meet the who’s who of the tourist industry and tell people about our innovative services. At our booth we will be presenting our complete product range and giving people a deep insight into what Regine Sixt Senior Executive Vice President, Sixt International IN JUST A FEW MOUSE-CLICKS OUR CUSTOMERS CAN FIND OUT ABOUT OUR SERVICES AND ORGANISE THEIR TRAVEL we do. We look forward to meeting each and every visitor, to lots of interesting encounters, and to a successful trade fair. Hall 9 Stand 121 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 4 th March 2015
