Washington “For U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports can nevertheless temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007. ”

Officials said the “record-breaking demand” at passport offices had led to excessive delays of up to three months.
The revised procedures will remain in place until 30 September.

The federal government is making this accommodation for air travel due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand.

Between March and May this year, the State Department issued more than 4.5 million passports.

Washington says extra staff had been recruited to deal with the surge in demand, toll-free phone lines have reportedly been overloaded and passport offices swamped by desperate applicants who have been waiting for months.

Delta AirElite Business Jets is pleased to announce that it has received the annual Robb Report Best of the Best honor for the fourth consecutive year. The company was recognized in the Flight-Card Programs/Charter category.

Delta AirElite launched its Fleet Membership jet card in 2003, and recently celebrated the program’s four year anniversary. The luxury charter operation has been serving private jet travelers since 1984.

“Since launching Fleet Membership, we have continually enhanced our program, giving our customers more options and more flexibility,” said Michael B. Green, chief executive officer of Delta AirElite.” As the first private jet operator to offer a national jet card program, ours continues to be the most comprehensive. We are delighted to be recognized by Robb Report for our excellence and commitment to our customers.”

Robb Report’s Best of the Best issue provides an expert’s view of the very finest the luxury world has to offer. The issue features premium-quality products and services including aviation, automobiles, yachts, and vacation destinations.

Earlier this year, Delta AirElite also received recognition from the Luxury Institute in their 2007 Private Jet Services Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey.

Fleet Membership gives customers the ultimate choice. They simply choose the number of hours they wish to fly (10, 25, or 50 occupied hours) in either a light, midsize, or large cabin category.

Members also have the option to choose from Delta AirElite’s Membership Fleet or Premier Fleet. The Membership Fleet features a wide range of meticulously maintained jets that combine luxury and value.

The Premier Fleet guarantees members access to only the latest model aircraft. In addition, our exclusive Efficiency Bonus™ rewards program lets Members fly more hours than actually purchased—up to 35% more flying time.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, only Fleet Membership offers customers instant Medallion® status in the Delta Air Lines SkyMiles® program.

Delta AirElite’s 10-hour card, the Perfect 10™, offers the lowest cost of entry in the industry and allows customers to experience all the benefits of private jet membership with less expense and less commitment.

The 10-hour card is an ideal way to experience an introduction to private jet travel or as a supplement to alternative and more restrictive travel options.

Customers have also purchased a 10-hour card recognizing the insurance value that Fleet Membership provides should the need arise for nationwide guaranteed aircraft availability on short notice.

Fleet Membership has one of the highest renewal rates in the industry, and confirms Delta AirElite’s position as a leader in the private jet travel marketplace.”Our membership continues to grow at record pace,” added Green. In 2006, we more than tripled the number of new members over the previous year.

This loyalty from our customers and recognition from independent sources such as Robb Report underscores our desire to always exceed customer expectations.

Delta AirElite Business Jets is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, providing aircraft charter, aircraft management and its innovative Fleet Membership and Flexjet 25 jet card programs.

With 23 years of serving business aviation travelers, Delta AirElite is the only business jet operator owned by a major U.S. airline.

The company operates a diverse fleet of Bombardier, Gulfstream, Hawker and Cessna aircraft. For more information, please visit www.AirElite.com.

Avis Rent A Car System, LLC today announced a new premium service called Avis Chauffeur Drive through which Avis customers can rent a car and hire a professional driver at the same time.

Avis Chauffeur Drive is the product of a new alliance between Avis and WeDriveU, Inc. WeDriveU provides fully insured and certified chauffeurs who provide professional driving services to customers using the customer’s vehicle.

Customers enrolled in Avis Preferred or other Avis loyalty programs will be able to rent a WeDriveU chauffeur to operate the Avis vehicle of the customer’s choice, adding a new level of convenience and productivity to both business and leisure travel.

“Avis Preferred members can now let a locally-based professional driver worry about traffic, directions, parking and the bags, and the customer can sit back and relax if they’re on vacation, or make the most of their business travel time to get their work done,” said Michael Caron, vice president of product and program development for Avis Budget Group, parent of Avis. “And using Avis Chauffeur Drive can also cost less than hiring a sedan from a limousine service, so it saves the customer money, too.”

Avis Chauffeur Drive costs $30 per hour with a three-hour minimum, plus standard rental car charges. Customers can rent the vehicle and use a WeDriveU chauffeur during the entire rental period or as needed.

If a driver is used intermittently during a rental period, the three-hour minimum applies each time.

The chauffeur can pick up the Avis rental car for the customer and meet the customer wherever desired, including airline baggage claim or curbside loading zones for airport arrivals, or at a hotel or business meeting location. The driver can also handle the return of the vehicle.

Avis Preferred members can reserve their chauffeur by calling 800-272-5839 at least 24 hours prior to rental pickup time. Customers using Avis Chauffeur Drive will be billed separately for the driver charges by WeDriveU.

Avis Chauffeur Drive service is available in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. for Avis customers enrolled in Avis Preferred, as well as members of the Avis Chairman’s Club, Avis First and Avis President’s Club programs.
The service is available at major airports and within a 60-mile radius of these city centers.

WeDriveU is popular with busy executives and individuals who place a premium on productivity, convenience and value, and we’re delighted to now extend our services to Avis Preferred customers, said Dennis Carlson, president and CEO of WeDriveU.

Whether they’re juggling back-to-back business meetings or a non-stop leisure itinerary, customers now have the best of both worlds: the convenience and value of renting from Avis, plus the professionalism and outstanding service from our chauffeurs to make travel more effortless and enjoyable.

For more information or to enroll in Avis Preferred, visit www.avis.com/driver.

About WeDriveU, Inc.

WeDriveU provides fully insured and certified chauffeurs who drive for you in YOUR car. Since 1988, WeDriveU chauffeurs have set the industry benchmark for quality and professionalism throughout the United States by passing a rigorous certification process.

WeDriveU has served a range of corporate and individual clients and events, including:

  • General Motors R*Works
  • Fairmont Hotel
  • U.S. Conference of Mayors
  • American Hospital Association
  • Mercedes-Benz of North America
  • British Consulate
  • Charles Schwab & Co.
  • Democratic National Convention
  • PGA Tour Championship
  • Argonaut Securities
  • Princess Cruises
  • NAACP Image Awards
  • Republican National Convention
  • Women´s World Cup among others

WeDriveU, “Your Source for Professional Chauffeurs,” is headquartered in San Mateo, CA with offices throughout the U.S. Visit www.wedriveu.com or call 800-77DRIVE (800-773-7483).

About Avis

Avis Rent A Car System, LLC and its subsidiaries operate one of the world´s leading car rental brands, providing business and leisure customers with a wide range of services at more than 2,100 locations in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Latin American / Caribbean region.

Avis is one of the world´s top brands for customer loyalty, ranking as the number one car rental company in the 2007 Brand Keys(R) Customer Loyalty Index. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, Inc.

For more information, visit www.avis.com.

Dear Valued Clients,

I hope that you will join us in wishing Delta Air Lines congratulations on successfully emerging from Chapter 11 re-organization and for being victorious in the hostile takeover bid from U. S. Airways. I have already seen signs that the new Delta will be much more like the Delta of old with a true focus on customer service and southern hospitality.

We are pleased to offer a new service, on-line meeting and event registration. In the past, tracking RSVP´s, break out sessions, special events within a conference, and flight arrivals and departures was all ways a paper and labor intensive process.

Our newest technology allows clients and guests to register on-line while customizing their requests and preferences. All of the data is on-line up to the minute to help manage events, conferences, and incentive trips.

I recently had the pleasure of attending an American Express Awards Banquet in Cairo, Egypt, which was preceded by a 4 night cruise on the Nile and extensive visits to the ancient treasures. We utilized the services of one of our favorite tour operators, Intrav. Their Egypt program is titled “Wings over the Nile”, and features exclusive charter aircraft to see the vast array of sights in minimal time.

If you have the desire to see the Pyramids, Temples and Mosques, this is truly an experience of a lifetime. Just beware of the one-way camel rides.

We greatly appreciate your business and if any of us can ever be of special assistance, please do not hesitate to call,

Sincerely,

Terry W. Brennan
President

River Cruise in Europe

With the new travel requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative; routine service for passports (usually received within six weeks) is now taking up to 10 weeks.

The government´s expediting service, which costs $60 extra and usually takes up to two weeks is now taking three to four weeks and possibly longer if the traveler renews by mail. For updates on passport delays, visit www.travel.state.gov/passport.

If you are even considering any travel by plane outside of the United States, it´s imperative to apply for a passport or renewal immediately!