Travel News

Special winter rate at Hyatt Regency Cambridge

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:33:46 GMT

The Hyatt Regency Cambridge is offering a special winter rate to all MIT individual travelers from Nov. 21 to Dec. 31. The rate is $119, plus tax. You may make reservations by calling 617-441-6529. More >>

20 percent hotel savings offered through Starwood Preferred Guest program

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:38:32 GMT

Sourcing, Travel and Procurement Services has signed an agreement with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. in which MIT travelers can realize a 20% savings on future hotels reservations with Starwood. To begin realizing these savings, please enroll in the Starwood Preferred Guest program at the Corporate Preferred level. Once you enroll you can simply book future reservations on www.spg.com or by using one of MIT's preferred travel agencies.

If you are already a member of the Starwood Preferred Guest Program, you will need to go into your SPG Account and update your profile by adding the MIT SET Number 363006 to you contact profile. Once you enroll using this enrollment link or you update your profile adding the MIT SET number, the discount will automatically appear once you book your reservations online or call the Starwood Reservations CustomerContact Center at 888-625-4988.

The discount with Starwood Hotels is only for faculty and staff of MIT or students traveling on official MIT business. Faculty and staff can also use this discount for personal travel as well. When traveling ans MIT ID will be required at check-in for verification of employment.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has 9 Lifestyle Brands which include Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, Le Meridien, St.Regis, The Luxury Collection, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft & Element Hotels.

For any questions about the use of the SPG enrollment link or the discount please contact joseph.demille@starwoodhotels.com or
914-755-9812.

Discounts available at Marriott hotels in top 20 MIT destination cities

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:03:29 GMT

Sourcing, Travel and Procurement Services has secured an agreement with the Marriott hotel chain for discounts to MIT's top 20 city destinations through the end of this year. Arrangements must be made through one of MIT's preferred travel agencies: The Travel Collaborative, Carlson Wagonlit or OT&T Travel Management.

View details of the agreement >>

OT

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:47:29 GMT

MIT travelers to Asia and the Middle East can now realize substantial discounts on airfare through MIT preferred provider OT & T Travel Management, which as a consolidator travel agency is able to provide wholesale airfare.

So-called “consolidator flight tickets” available from OT & T can be as much as 60 percent below published commercial airfares. The tickets are typically roundtrip and non-refundable, with a change fee of $250. The savings depend on the airline and the dates of travel, but this new option for MIT travelers represents an opportunity for significant savings.

OT & T is one of the several MIT preferred travel agencies providing services under agreements secured by Sourcing, Travel and Procurement Services in the Office of the Vice President for Finance.

You may contact OT & T at MIT@ott-travel.com or 800-666-8822/800-888-9264/781-890-9000.

Airlines requiring additional information from some domestic travelers

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:51:58 GMT

Airlines in August began asking some travelers to provide their dates of birth and genders when making reservations on domestic flights, under a new screening program initiated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Prompted by a congressional mandate, the program, Secure Flight, leaves it up to individual airlines and travel agencies as to how they would collect the data, but it is likely that by early 2010 all passengers on domestic commercial flights will have to provide such information.