The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has introduced its new Secure Flight Program. This new program could impact the way you make your air travel reservations.

The Secure Flight program transfers the government “watch list” matching responsibilities from the airlines to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). While this is a behind-the-scenes process that TSA so small differences in name should not cause any major issues, it is a good idea to make sure all your information is as correct as possible.

What does this mean for travelers?

Starting November 1st 2010, passengers traveling to any U.S. city or flying over U.S. Airspace must provide full Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD). This means in addition to their full name, all passengers must now provide their gender, and date of birth when booking a ticket.

Travelers who have been previously misidentified can apply for a redress number at the Department of Homeland Secuirty website. The Redress number should help prevent delays for misidentified passengers who share a name with someone on the “No Fly List.”

Further information and a series of FAQ’s about the new rules are available at the TSA website search for “Secure Flight.”

With summer coming to a close we can  once again smell the smokey mesquite from the tail gating grills, and hear the crowds roaring as their teams take the field.  That’s right,  it’s  football season!

At the Hilton Garden Inn Lancaster we know how important those Monday Night Football games can be to our football  fans. In fact we are now keeping our bar and Clyde’s Cafe open with later hours during the Monday Night Football games. Stop down at the Garden Bar and relax with a few friends or meet some new ones, watch the game and have a great night. We want you to feel like you are right at home so feel free to find a seat in our restaurant now open late with a special NFL Monday Night Menu available after 9:00 pm.

After you are all done eating and the game is finished don’t forget to stop down at the desk to pick the two teams you think will be in the Superbowl for a chance to will 5,000 Hilton Honors points. Just drop your business card with the two teams you think are going to the Superbowl written on the back into container.

Oktoberfest 2010

The Lancaster Liederkranz located in Manheim, PA will be celebrating Oktoberfest the weekned of September 19th-21st. Come out and join them for a taste of Germany culture. It’s an event open to public and will happen rain or shine. There will be live bands, dances, German folk music, marionette shows, games and oh course Great food and Beer.

Hours will be:

The Headless Horseman’s Ball is a great local event that at a wonderful historical Lancaster site: The Historic Rockford Plantation.

Located just south of downtown Lancaster, Rockford plantation was built in 1794 the building is amazingly maintained and a great site for such a haunting evening. Spend the night celebrating, dancing and tasting some of the great food offered. 

If you are looking to visit the site for a tour they are open to the public Wednesday -Sunday 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM.

Summer is here the sun is out and the temperatures are rising. With the warmer weather there are several things you can do to make traveling easier and less stressful for you and your family.

If you are traveling by car this summer get your car checked out. A quick check of your cars coolant, hoses, belts tires, oil, battery air and fuel filters can help avoid breakdowns sitting in the hot summer sun waiting for AAA to come fix your car. Carry liquids in your car with you and encourage people to drink more often then thirst requires, children dehydrate at a much faster rate then adults.

If you are traveling by rail this summer there are a few things to keep in mind. Each rail car has it’s own AC unit so if the car you are in is becoming to hot, don’t be afraid to move around.

Many of you will be traveling by air, while the FAA has changed some of the regulations so that we can not be forced to sit on the tarmac more then three hours, any delay on a plane can seem like a life time in the stuffy air. One of the keys to staying cool is to stay calm. The less energy you exert the cooler you’ll stay. Do what you can to distract your mind from any delays, read a book, listen to music, or watch that latest episode of “Lost” you downloaded to your computer.

Till next Tuesday, travel safe.

Jason W. Deeds

I’m a big fan dining local, but when I talk to many of our travel guests I’m surprised to find that they don’t take the time to find local places to dine. When I have asked why this is I get everything from, “That restaurant is too far away”,” We don’t know where we’re going”, or “We just want something we’re familiar with”. While all of these are reasonable, with a little effort the experience of visiting a local establishment can change your entire outlook on a location.

So how do you find these “Hidden Gems?” Well you could drive around the town and get lost and find some great locations, but if “Getting Lost” is not your style then here are two great resources to find the great local dinning experiences.

Many of the cities have  Convention Visitors Burros who put out guides and have websites that highlight the great local venues and attractions. A great example of this is Lancaster County’s own PDCVB website and Map & Overnight Getaway Guide. This site highlights many of Lancaster’s great local dining selections.

Stop into a Hotel (even if you aren’t staying there) and ask the front desk staff about local selections. Front Desk staff at hotel are full of information on local dining, attractions and shopping. It’s a wealth of local information at your finger tips. Not only can you tell you the name the place, the hours of operation, and maybe even book you a reservation, they can also give you one thing that is left out of many guides . . . personal experences and opinions.

So next time you stop in town, stop by the desk ask for Jason.  I’ll be happy to tell you were you can find your new favorite eatery!

Till next Tuesday, travel safe.

Jason W. Deeds

Yes we are aware that this weeks Travel Tip Tuesday is being released on a Thursday. We have a good reason.

For several months I have been talking to many people at the work place about social media and engaging the audience and getting involved in the conversations that are already out there in the travel industry.  Today we are taking the next step.  With so much of the travel industry jumping on board with Social Media there are many great deals out there if we just open our eyes. Included in that now is Hilton Garden Inn Lancaster! We are now offering a special rate bookable directly through the hotel front desk reservations. We will be adding the rate information to our Facebook account, twitter account, foursquare and now on the Google coupons! Many other hotels and travel industry groups are doing the same. What specials have you been able to take advantage through social media?

The discount rate is based on availability and can not be combined with any other offers.

For many business travelers time is the most precious resource they have. Today I wanted to highlight a tip on saving time while traveling.

The Hilton Garden Inn brand has been forward thinking with how to interrogate technology and the travel industry. It started with being able to book via your smart phones. Now you can print from you smart phone device or laptop to our business center from anywhere! Most business travelers generally are never more then a foot away from their blackberry, Iphone or Laptop. Ease of access to their personal information including email, spreadsheets,  and contacts is essential. Yet where does the business traveler go when they need to print something quickly for a meeting or interview? They could use the blackberry or Iphone and find the closest Kinko’s drive over their, sit down at a computer upload the information and then print…30 to 45 minutes later they could be at their meeting. OR… Now they can print from any of their mobile devices to the printer in any Hilton Garden Inn Business center and have it waiting in the printer que for them to come release. You don’t even have to be on the hotels wireless network. Land in Harrisburg even before you pick up your rental car you could be sending your print job to our business center to pick up right after you check in.  You can even print your next boarding passes to our printer while you are still at on the road!

Here is a link to the Printer On Website for directions on how to print to the Hilton Garden Inn Lancaster for you next visit!

(Work Smart)

Until Next Tuesday Travel Safe and Smart!

~Jason W. Deeds

Keys for the city is a project of twenty custom designed pianos set throughout the city as in interactive art exhibit. This is another great example of Lancaster’s exploding art scene. Created by Music for Everyone, a non-profit based in Lancaster PA.

“The pianos are intended to engage the public by inspiring people to stop and strike a few keys or play an entire piece,” said John Gerdy, president of Music For Everyone. “This project is a literal expression of what this organization is about – Music For Everyone.”

You might even catch me sipping on a square one coffee and pounding on the keys!

Keys for the City

Keys for the City

Many hotel chains, including our own, are offering on-line “Advance Purchase” room rates. This program rewards people who book in advance extending reduced room rates of varying amounts based on how much in advance the purchase is made.  The advance purchase is a purchase and requires payment at the time of confirming a reservation.  The payment is nonrefundable and the reservation is unchangeable.

While these rates are great bargains for many travelers, they can sometimes become a bit of a headache when a traveler’s plans make a sudden change. Many people have called and asked if they can change the dates of their reservation and pay a higher rate, and are more than a little frustrated to find out that we are unable to accommodate the requested changes.

When booking your next hotel stay online, if this rate is available to you, take a quick moment and remember these rates are a great deal, but if you are not 100% sure of your travel plans it could cost you more in the long run.