Articles for ‘Travel News’ Category
Monday, November 16th, 2009
By Joe Brancatelli
STAR SIGNS
United Upgrades Upgrades, US Airways Simplifies Club Membership: Continental Airlines joined the Star Alliance at the end of October, so fellow Star carrier United Airlines is bringing its Mileage Plus program in line with Continental’s OnePass plan.
Beginning in the second quarter next year, United will kill its 500-mile upgrade certificates. The new upgrade regimen is somewhat simple: unlimited domestic upgrades based on your elite status in Mileage Plus. Naturally, the top players, Global Services and 1K members, get first dibs.
(more…)
Posted in Business Travel, Flights, On the Road, Travel News | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
(Photo by Hady Khandani/courtesy: Lufthansa)
By Joe Brancatelli
THE CONNECTED SKIES
Lufthansa Makes Another Run at In-Flight Internet: Lufthansa was almost alone in mourning the loss of Boeing’s Connexion in-flight Internet service, which ended in 2006 after $1 billion or more in losses. And it’s been searching for a replacement ever since. It may have finally found one.
The German carrier says it will begin using a new service from Panasonic in mid-2010. Unlike Aircell, which uses a ground-to-air system on many U.S. domestic flights, Panasonic uses a satellite-based service. It’s more expensive to install, maintain and use, but it’s the only way to do it over oceans and Lufthansa hopes to re-install what it calls FlyNet on the vast majority of its international fleet.
(more…)
Posted in Business Travel, On the Road, Travel News | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
Wi-Fi will be free at 47 airports during the holiday season, thanks to Google. The search engine company is paying for the service at select airports through January 15. Get details.
Related Orbitz resources:
Posted in Business Travel, Flights, Freebies & Discounts, Gadgets & Gizmos, Travel News | No Comments »
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
By E.C. Gladstone
Loft living area in Hotel 32 at Monte Carlo (Courtesy of MGM/Mirage)
With the opening of the monumental City Center mere weeks away, virtually all of the major Las Vegas hotels on the Strip have been sprucing up to try and keep pace. But none has done more perhaps than City Center neighbor the Monte Carlo. For a long time, this European-styled resort was something of an also-ran in Sin City, but in the last year major changes have given it new life: revamping Andre’s Restaurant, Dragon Noodle, and the Pub; adding Brand Steakhouse and Diablo’s Cantina; introducing comedian Frank Caliendo; bringing back lounge lovers Zowie Bowie; and even revising Lance Burton’s image. But the crowning glory of the Monte Carlo (literally) is their new boutique floor, Hotel 32.
While perhaps not on the level of the highest high-roller Vegas accommodations, Hotel 32 nevertheless represents a significant upgrade in service and style, comparable to many of the nicest rooms in town. The personalized experience begins with a personal driver retrieving you from (and, ultimately, returning you to) Vegas’ McCarran Airport. Upon arrival at the Monte Carlo, your suite assistant will escort you up dedicated elevators to the 32nd floor lounge, where a concierge will fulfill any request throughout the day. Everything from Voss water and Champagne to gourmet light breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvres are all complimentary-even snacks throughout the day. (more…)
Posted in Gambling Vacation, Las Vegas Vacation, Travel News | No Comments »
Monday, October 19th, 2009
By Joe Brancatelli
BY THE NUMBERS: Delta’s “don’t ask don’t tell” policy on Northwest changes 
Delta Airlines says that it’s on track to fully integrate Northwest Airlines by the end of the year–and that includes flying under one operating certificate, the key bit of government-issued authority. Generally speaking, the merger has gone smoothly enough, but it looks as if Delta has pooched one of the easiest parts of the integration. Effective with the “winter” schedule that begins on Oct. 24, Delta will rebrand Northwest’s operations with Delta’s DL code and new flight numbers. The changes have been loaded into reservation computers, but Delta hasn’t bothered to alert travelers yet. Not even by the cheapest, easiest method: an explanatory page on the Delta.com and/or NWA.com Web sites. For its part, Delta insists the code and numbering changes “will be a smooth process for customers who will receive notification of flight changes through the normal channels.” It doesn’t say what those normal channels are. (more…)
Posted in Business Travel, Flights, Travel News | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
By Joe Brancatelli
AIRPORT REPORT: What Would Eero Think?
The stunning Eero Saarinen terminal at Washington/Dulles Airport is a late 20th century masterpiece of architecture and design. But it’s always been a disaster as an airport terminal trying to keep up with the demands of modern-day air travel. Hence the constant retrofitting and work-arounds that have dominated the facility for the last 30 years.
The latest change: a new below-ground mezzanine level that was constructed to accommodate a 121,000-square-foot security checkpoint facility to process departing passengers. The checkpoints have 16 lanes on the east side, which is dominated by United Airlines and its commuter carriers. There are eight checkpoint lanes on the west side. If you enter Dulles on the ticketing/departure levels, you’ll now see escalators leading down to the checkpoint level. The new mezzanine is only part of the ongoing work at Dulles. A new fourth level below the mezzanine will house the AeroTrain system that will move passengers from Saarinen’s terminal to the remote concourses that were built in recent years. (more…)
Posted in Business Travel, Flights, On the Road, Travel News | No Comments »
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
By Joe Brancatelli
WEST COAST ROUTE MAP: A War for the Routes to Florida
- Virgin America says that it will launch flights to Fort Lauderdale from both Los Angeles and San Francisco beginning on November 18.
- JetBlue Airways promptly responded it would launch San Francisco-Fort Lauderdale flights beginning on November 19.
- Alaska Airlines says that it will begin flights from Portland, Oregon, to Chicago/O’Hare on November 16.
AIRPORT REPORT: Continental Jiggles Its Route Map to Match Star Alliance Hubs
As you surely know by now, Continental Airlines drops out of the SkyTeam Alliance on October 24 and moves into the Star Alliance on October 27. That also means a rejiggering of Continental’s route map to reduce its service to SkyTeam hubs (including Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City and Memphis) and new flights to Star Alliance hubs.
(more…)
Posted in Business Travel, Flights, On the Road, Orbitz Travel Insider, Travel News | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
Fall is shoulder season, the period between summer and holiday season known for low cost travel and fewer crowds at many vacation hot spots. This year, the Orbitz Insider Index reviewed average hotel costs in 10 popular shoulder season destinations, identifying which give travelers the most value this fall.
Dublin and Bermuda top the list, offering the highest year-over-year percentage savings. But, thrifty travels should set their sights on a fall vacation to Las Vegas, San Juan, and once again, Dublin, all of which offer average hotel rates under $100 per night. (more…)
Tags: Add new tag, Beach Vacation, Family Travel, Flights, hotels, Las Vegas Vacation, travel
Posted in International Vacations, Las Vegas Vacation, Top 10 Lists, Travel Deals, Travel News, Travel Tips | No Comments »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
By Joe Brancatelli
Lest you think the meltdown of the lodging industry would slow the development of new properties, consider this new crop of openings. If there is any bright side to these newbies, consider that several are actually in areas that honestly need new properties. One example: the new Hilton Garden Inn branches in Troy, New York, and Presque Isle, Maine. Then there’s the new 144-room Residence Inn in Yonkers, New York. One property that isn’t opening into a hotel shortfall, however, is the 155-room Aloft, one of Starwood’s new brands, near BWI Airport in Baltimore.
Internationally, two new properties of note: the 272-room InterContinental Kiev in the Ukraine and the 563-room Shangri-La Ningbo in China. Big doings in the luxury segment, too. The 99-room Jefferson in Washington has reopened after a top-to-bottom renovation of the 1923 Beaux Arts building. The Jefferson is about four blocks from the White House. The Hotel Bel-Air will close on September 30 for a renovation that may take up to two years. And Mandarin Oriental is pulling its name off its hotel in Macau, China. The property has been renamed the Grand Lapa. Radisson has planted its flag on the former Red Lion hotel in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (more…)
Tags: Business Travel, hotels
Posted in Business Travel, International Vacations, On the Road, Travel News | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
The bean counters who run the airlines continue to claim that their parade of baggage fees is adding to their cash flow. The credulous general media continue to report the claim of a $2 billion influx to the carriers’ bottom line. The truth, of course, is far different: Overall revenue figures conclusively show the airlines that have been fastest to raise baggage fees are also the carriers that have been hemorrhaging revenue the fastest. Still, what do facts matter to airlines that seem content to pave a quick road to their own oblivion? So here are the new bag fees:
- Virgin America has raised its checked bag fee to $20 each for any bag you check.
- American, Continental and US Airways have matched the $50 fee for the second checked bags on European flights, a charge pioneered by Delta Air Lines and recently matched by British Airways.
- US Airways also raised its domestic bag fees. It is now $25 for the first bag and $30 for the second bag if you check them at the airport and $20/$25 if you check them online.
- Frontier Airlines raised its first checked bag fee to $20 and its second checked bag fee to $30.
Related Orbitz resources:
Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2009 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.
Tags: American Airlines, Business Travel, Flights, travel, Us Airways
Posted in Business Travel, Flights, Orbitz Travel Insider, Travel News | No Comments »
