I saw this quirky video on the Traveling Mamas site. It is a commercial for Extended Stay Hotels about how much more comfortable you will feel. But do I really want to get this comfortable at a hotel or stay at a hotel where others have gotten this comfortable?
Popularity: 27% [?]
Here is a travel nightmare for you. You are on vacation and your travel company goes out of business. What could be worse news? How about 40,000 passengers stranded around the world.
Anger at airport as XL rescue turns into a fiasco
Stranded victims of the XL holiday firm collapse threatened to riot and scuffles broke out after 400 travellers were effectively imprisoned in a departure lounge for 24 hours.
The incident highlighted the chaos surrounding some 40,000 British tourists marooned around the globe by the collapse of Britain’s third biggest holiday operator - despite a huge Civil Aviation Authority mission to bring most of them back.
Why is the USA a less attractive destination for Japanese tourists? We don’t know but they are studying the issue.
The vanishing Japanese tourist
OTTI statistics reveal that 3.7 million Japanese tourists visited the US in 2006. They represent the fourth-largest tourism market for the US behind Canada, Mexico and the UK. In 2006, Japan’s visitors spent approximately $16.03 billion in the US, but in 2006 the US experienced a 5 percent decline in the Japanese market following years of impressive growth.
United Airlines and Air Canada are heading in opposite directions with regard to the fees for that extra bag you want to bring along.
United Airlines increases fee to check a second bag
United is increasing the service fee to check a second bag on a domestic flight from $25 to $50 one way. These changes apply to customers who purchase a ticket on or after September 16, 2008 for travel within the US and to/from Canada, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands on or after November 10, 2008.
Air Canada eliminates second bag fee
Air Canada announced today that in response to decreasing fuel prices, the airline is eliminating all second checked-bag charges implemented this spring and will be incorporating fuel surcharges into its advertised base fares on North American flights.
I am curious what our former Turkish exchange student would make of this story? Remember this is not a story about a crime just a management issue.
Turkish hotel fires philandering male staff
A small hotel on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast has fired all its male employees for repeatedly having affairs with foreign female guests, the manager said on Wednesday.
Pelin Yucel, manager of Image Hotel in Marmaris, said her 27-room hotel now only employs female staff. Most of the guests are British and Russian tourists, she said.
“We had been facing the same problem every year but after the last incident we decided to run the hotel by only female staff,” she said.
Remember to vote for the Amateur Traveler podcast at the year’s Podcast Awards.
And lastly the answer to the question that started this post. There are worst things than getting stranded.
Tanzanian lodge in court over leopard attack to French tourist’s son
A civil suit, first of its kind in Tanzania’s tourism history, took place in northern tourist city of Arusha this week against luxury Tarangire Safari Lodge over negligence that led to a leopard attack of a 7-year-old French boy.
Popularity: 42% [?]
I saw this scene in Rethymno on Crete. It was one of the many Greek churches reflected in a near by ivy covered window.
Popularity: 32% [?]
SEC looks into posting of old United story
As if United Airlines has not been having enough trouble these days it had to content last week with an internet echo of an old story.
Officials at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are wondering if there was any improper conduct behind the online release last weekend of a 6-year-old news story that lead to a 75 percent drop in the stock of United Airlines on Monday, according to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required).
The SEC has opened a “preliminary inquiry” into the online distribution of a Chicago Tribune article from 2002 about United Airlines’ bankruptcy filing, people familiar with the matter said.
The Tribune Co. said in a statement on Wednesday that it believes a single visit to the archived story on the site of its South Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper during a low-traffic time period resulted in the computer system displaying it under a tab titled “Popular Stories Business: Most Viewed.”
The article was then picked up by Google News and displayed with no indicate of the original date of publishing. It was later distributed by Bloomberg.
Google’s automated search agent “Googlebot” misclassified the article because it is unable to differentiate between breaking news and frequently viewed stories on the newspaper Web sites, the Tribune said, adding that it had asked Google to stop crawling its sites month ago, but the process had continued.
Meanwhile Continental seems to be happy about their new fees for luggage.
Continental says luggage fee to generate $100 mln
Continental Airlines on Thursday said it expects to see $100 million in revenue and cost savings related to a new $15 dollar bag-check fee.
Canada passes airline passengers’ bill of rights
(September 11, 2008) - At a press conference in Ottowa, Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon announced the passage of a passenger’s bill of rights program, nicknamed “Flight Rights.” The Canadian government is the first airline in North America to execute a passengers’ bill of rights.
Under the new law, Canadian airlines will also be required to provide stranded travelers with updated flight delay and schedule change information, along with meal vouchers for delays of four hours and hotel vouchers for delays of eight hours or more.
Eurostar trains halted by fire in Channel Tunnel
Cross-Channel travellers face severe disruption today [September 12] as operators struggle to resume rail services after a fire in the Channel Tunnel yesterday.
The tunnel was closed for the rest of the day, causing disruption to more than 15,000 passengers. Seven people were treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries.
Popularity: 46% [?]
Gas Prices Cause Airline to Remove Life Vests
Air Canada’s regional carrier Jazz is removing life vests from all its planes to save weight and fuel.
Jazz spokeswoman Manon Stuart said Thursday Transport Canada regulations allow airlines to use floatation devices instead of life vests provided the planes remain within 50 miles (80 kilometers) of shore.
50 miles? Just how far do they think I can swim?
IATA: Airlines will lose US$5.2 billion in 2008
The Air Transport Association (IATA) has said it is predicting that airlines will lose US$5.2 billion in 2008, due to slowing demand and high oil prices. Fuel is expected to rise to 36 percent of operating costs, up from 13 percent in 2002.
Why airline reregulation is no longer taboo
I spotted a surprising article that I spotted this week on airline de-regulation. de-regulation has general been held as a good thing that led to increased competition, lower fares and more flights. But some have started to question the downsides of this landmark change in 1978.
One observer with a unique perspective is Robert Crandall, the former chairman of American Airlines and a recognized industry leader — for better or worse — during his tenure in the business. In a speech before the Wings Club in New York City in June, Crandall noted the following: “The consequences (of deregulation) have been very adverse. Our airlines, once world leaders, are now laggards in every category, including fleet age, service quality and international reputation. Fewer and fewer flights are on time. Airport congestion has become a staple of late-night comedy shows. An even higher percentage of bags are lost or misplaced. Last-minute seats are harder and harder to find. Passenger complaints have skyrocketed. Airline service, by any standard, has become unacceptable.”
Australia issues travel advisory warns of high risks for travelers to US
In a fresh travel advisory issued on Sunday, the Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has warmed of “high risks” of terror attacks on domestic and international flights in and to the United States.
Sure, but what about those of us who are already here?
Delta, JetBlue and NYC airports highlight list of chronically delayed flights
Delta subsidiary Comair flew the eight most chronically delayed flights in July, including three that arrived late every time they flew. Overall, 19 of the nation’s 30 most-chronically delayed flights flew under the Delta logo, though all of the offending flights were operated by Delta’s regional affilaites and not by Delta itself. The worst performer was Comair Flight 5292 from Minneapolis/St. Paul to New York JFK, which arrived late all 31 times it flew in July, the latest month for which data is available from the Department of Transportation (page 14). The average delay for Flight 5292: 134 minutes. That flight also arrived late every time it flew in June, as well, arriving behind schedule by an average of 123 minutes during that month.
Is that really fair? Do you know how hard it is for people in Minnesota to say goodbyes?
Chill out, comfortably, at these ‘ice lounges’
Minus5 Las Vegas (as in minus 5 degrees Celsius) in the Mandalay Bay casino/resort complex, which may open by the end of the month, is similar to chill-out establishments in Stockholm (the Absolut Icebar) and other minus5s in Australia and New Zealand. Patrons, who pay $30 to enter the 1,200-square-foot lounge in Vegas, will be loaned parkas and gloves, sit on ice chairs and sip a drink (one included in the entry fee) in frozen glasses.
JetBlue flight diverted after fight breaks out
A JetBlue flight from Boston, Massachusetts, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was diverted Saturday when a fight broke out after someone was smoking in the bathroom, federal officials said. A JetBlue plane was held in North Carolina for two hours while passengers were interviewed. One passenger aboard JetBlue Flight 455 was taken into custody at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina after the plane landed about 5:45 p.m.
You read that right. In the picturesque hilltop town of Salemi in western Sicily, the mayor is selling old stone villas in the historic town center for one euro (approximately $1.41) apiece. The catch? These villas were damaged in the 1968 earthquake, and have stood unoccupied and deteriorating for the past 40 years. Sound appealing? Once you buy the villa, you must restore it in two years in a way that respects its original character and in accordance with the architectural standards established by the town council; you must also hire local builders, architects, decorators, and plumbers to do the work, reports Times Online, “since the aim of the scheme is to help the local economy.”
Popularity: 73% [?]
