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Volume 7, Issue 3, January 21, 2009 |
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Last Thursday, Americans watched in awe as a US Airways plane made an emergency landing on the Hudson River. All 150 passengers and five crewmembers survived. Pilot Chesley Burnett Sullenberger is being hailed for his heroic endeavors.
The situation has again brought the subject of airline safety to the forefront of Americans’ minds. Last week’s crash was caused by a flock of geese colliding with the plane shortly after take-off and disabling the two engines. Unfortunately, this is a problem continuing to face airlines. FAA statistics show that since 2000, almost 500 planes have collided with birds, causing 166 emergency landings and 66 aborted takeoffs. Commercial aircraft must pass “bird strike” tests before being certified for use. Engines are tested physically and through computer simulations. Strikes typically occur at 8,000 feet, and airports are often forced to relocate flocks.
Recent collisions have proven that, while scary, crashes are not necessarily fatal. In the last four major aircraft collisions, all passengers have survived. Better training and planes have led to safer landings in emergency situations. In the last seven years, fewer than 100 passengers have died in major U.S. airliner accidents. U.S. aviation regulators also recently announced plans to make the most dramatic changes to airline employee training programs since the 1980s.
Watch for an in-depth look at airline safety in an upcoming issue of Global Traveler. 
Lufthansa opened a new lounge at New York JFK, the first of its kind outside of Europe. The three-tiered lounge is 16,000 square feet, with each tier dedicated to one premium passenger segment — business class, Senator and first class/HON Circle. The lounge is located in Terminal 1, immediately after security. The first-class tier features a separate dining area and shower amenities. The Senator Lounge offers bistro and dining options, as well as a fully staffed bar. The business-class lounge has leather seating and a separate entertainment area.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is instituting a new initiative that will save fuel and help reduce greenhouse gas admissions. The airport will embark on a $33 million construction project to provide air-conditioned parking for planes, allowing the jets to cool without causing air pollution. FAA grants will cover $22 million in expenses. The air will be pumped from a central plant. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2010, with completion set for 2012.
Beginning in late 2009, United Airlines will offer Aircell’s Gogo in-flight Internet service on trans-continental flights. Access will be available on the airline’s signature service for a fee of $12.95. Qatar Airways is introducing in-flight yoga. The Fly Healthy, Fly Fit program, co-founded by Deepak Chopra, offers passengers relaxation techniques, stretches and meditation. The program is designed to enhance customers’ on-board experiences.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, have introduced new legislation that will protect passengers stuck on grounded planes. The legislation mandates that airlines “offer passengers the option of safely deplaning once they have sat on the ground for three hours after the plane door has closed.” Airlines will also be required to offer food, water, comfortable temperatures and adequate restroom facilities. The bill also establishes a complaint hotline.
The future of Alitalia is further stabilized as Air France-KLM Group announces plans to purchase a 25 percent stake in the Italian carrier. The deal, costing $423 million, will give Air France seats on Alitalia’s board and executive committee. Alitalia will operate as a new company and remain part of the SkyTeam Alliance. Foreign airline Air One SpA is also a minority investor.
Norra Bantorget Square
Östra Järnvägsgatan 35
Box 310
101 26 Stockholm, Sweden
46 8 676 9800
www.clarionsign.com
Stockholm’s newest hotel opened in February 2008, and everything about this 558-room Scandinavian property impressed me. I arrived from the airport via the Arlanda Express, a 125-mph airport train that takes just 20 minutes to get into the city’s Central Station, a five-minute walk from the hotel’s spacious, light-filled lobby. The Clarion Hotel Sign — a beautiful, 10-story, angular building of blue glass and black granite designed by Swedish architect Gert Windgårdh — has quickly become a Stockholm landmark.
The exciting visuals continue inside the property with sculpture, paintings, photographs and furniture — in guestrooms and public areas — created by top Scandinavian artists and designers, including Arne Jacobsen, Alvar Aalto and Bruno Mathsson. The hotel’s lobby restaurant is the Aquavit Grill & Raw Bar, a branch of the award-winning Aquavit New York. During my visit I ran into noted Swedish chef Marcus Samuelsson of the New York Aquavit, who was in Stockholm consulting on the new facility.
Guestrooms are outfitted in a simple Scandinavian style, with walls painted a soft white. In my room, a flat-screen TV pressed against one wall and a large black-and-white photograph of a snow-covered Swedish lake filled the wall space above a large Swedish DUX bed. The desk was blonde wood, with a lovely wood slat-back chair that looked like it just arrived from an art museum’s furniture collection. Other warm touches included a stylish sofa and designer Arne Jacobsen’s Swan chair, both in bright red, and an attractive book on Nordic photography on the coffee table. The bathroom fixtures included a stunning, round, tempered-glass sink and an instant-on hot water showerhead behind a frosted glass door.
Business guests like the conference rooms, the high-speed WiFi throughout the hotel, the huge banquet hall and the business center. The property’s rooftop Selma CitySpa, with great views over downtown Stockholm, includes a fitness center and several treatment rooms. On a cold, snow-flurry afternoon, under a darkening winter sky, I enjoyed swimming in the spa’s heated outdoor rooftop pool, clouds of steam hovering above the water, the lights of the city twinkling 10 stories below. After a post-swim sauna, I was totally invigorated and ready to enjoy the evening ahead.
Score: ••••• Ron Bernthal
In celebration of its February launch date, V Australia is offering a special fare sale. Premium economy fares will be available for $2,777. V Australia’s premium economy cabin offers travelers a dedicated crew, the V Bar, roomy leather seats, a complete, inclusive food and beverage menu and personal entertainment options. The special fares are available on travel from March 1 through Oct. 24, but must be booked by Jan. 31. V Australia will launch flights on Feb. 27. Call 800 444 0260 or visit Web site.
Savings are taking off with Rail Europe’s Eurostar High Speed Savings Plan. The new plan features highly reduced rates, including $155 for Leisure Select tickets (with a welcome glass of Champagne and wine and food service) and $81 for Standard fares. Tickets must be booked by March 11; the sale is valid for travel through Aug. 31. Eurostar routes include London, Paris and Brussels. Visit the Web site or call 888 382 7245.
Turtle Island, a romantic resort nestled in Fiji, has a special offer for couples. Valid for travel through April 30, guests will stay seven nights, but pay for only five nights. The offer requires a minimum seven-night stay and does not include airfare. The getaway is inclusive of all meals and beverages, snorkeling, horseback riding, deep-sea fishing and scuba diving. The accommodations at Turtle Island feature romantic and secluded private bure cottages. Book online or call 800 255 4347.
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Starwood Preferred Guest is rewarding guests each night of its stay. Through April 30, the Night After Night promotion offers new and existing SPG members the opportunity to earn 500 bonus points per night and 5,000 bonus points for every 10th night stayed. The offer is available at more than 890 worldwide properties. Register online and start accruing points today.
Enjoy a night on land after any Orient-Express train or cruise journeys. Through March 31, the company is offering guests a free night of accommodations at a hotel after a boat or train trip. The offer is applicable to the following journeys: Venice Simplon Orient-Express and Hotel Cipriani; Eastern Oriental Express and Peninsula Bangkok; Road to Mandalay and The Governor’s Residence in Yangon; Afloat in France and Hotel de la Cité in Carcassonne; and The Royal Scotsman and Balmoral Hotel. Visit the Web site.
