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Volume 7, Issue 10, March 11, 2009 |
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According to recent reports, a merger of British Airways and Iberia may soon come to fruition. BA has given several strong indications that the merger is imminent, pending one outstanding hurdle related to governance and financial control of the two companies.
The merger will create a single parent company, Topco, which would own the two airlines, but the carriers would retain their individual identities and operate almost entirely independently. The estimated revenue is around £ 400 million. Reports to date suggest BA CEO Willie Walsh will retain that title under the Topco banner while Iberia’s Fernando Conte will become chairman of the new corporation.
It’s been a rocky road en route to finalizing the deal. In early negotiations, Iberia was pushing for an equal split in ownership, which almost doomed the merger. Other sticking points, including airlines’ pension deficit and share of ownership, have been resolved.
Once finalized, the merger will create one of the world’s largest airline companies. 
Global Traveler ’s annual online charity auction is kicking off this weekend. Bidding begins March 15 and all proceeds benefit Pencils For Kids, Inc., an organization dedicated to providing school supplies to children in third world countries. The fabulous items up for grabs this year include round-trip business-class tickets, tons of hotel stays and other great products. The auction runs through May 15. Check out the Web site beginning Sunday.
President Obama’s $787 billion economic recovery package earmarks approximately $1 billion for airports. The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed the stimulus money will be used to improve airport security. An estimated $700 million will be used to speed up installation of in-line explosive technology at up to 17 airports. This technology scans about three times as many bags per hour as current technology. The investment will speed up the government’s timeline for installing in-line systems at 277 of the nation’s busiest airports by two years. The remaining stimulus money, around $300 million, will be used for new security technology, including X-ray machines, whole body imaging technology and bottled liquid scanners.
Only weeks after its inception, Lufthansa Italia announced plans to launch three new routes, due to high demand. Beginning April 1, the airline will offer service between Milan (MXP) and Rome (CIA), Naples (RRO) and Bari (BRI). Lufthansa Italia will offer four daily flights to Rome, two daily flights to Naples and one flight per day to Bari. Additionally, the airline launched flights to Brussels (BRU), Budapest (BUD), Bucharest (BUH) and Madrid (MAD) last week, with plans to offer flights to London (LHR) and Lisbon (LIS) by the end of March.
Delta Air Lines is the latest domestic carrier to offer mobile boarding passes. Promoting the service as “the fastest, most convenient way to check-in”, Delta is offering the service on domestic flights from New York LaGuardia (LGA), Memphis International Airport (MEM), Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and McCarran International Airport (LAS).
The Transportation Security Administration has been working to institute security measures on private jet passengers. The proposed regulations include a ban on certain carry-on items and a requirement that all passengers be checked against terrorist watch lists. The new rules would also enforce stricter background checks for crew and mandatory security audits. TSA believes that as commercial aviation becomes more regulated, private jet travel will become an attractive option for terrorists. However, the TSA is facing many critics — the agency reportedly received 1,500 opposing emails last week — who say the new rules will take the comforts out of flying privately.
260 Portofino Way
Redondo Beach, CA 92077
tel 310 379 8481
www.hotelportofino.com
The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club, located only seven miles from LAX, is an undiscovered gem with oceanfront rooms, award-winning restaurant BALEENlosangeles and a freestanding meetings pavilion. The setting and swaying palm trees give the entire property the look and feel of a tropical island.
The approach to the hotel is on the bay side, with the picturesque Portofino Marina in front of the property. The Pacific Ocean is on the other side of the hotel and visible through the floor-to-ceiling lobby windows. Beautifully designed rooms are available on both sides. While rates are somewhat higher for Pacific-facing rooms, even these prices will seem like bargains compared to similar accommodations in Marina del Rey and Santa Monica, just a few miles up the coast.
The hotel’s 161 rooms have recently undergone an $11 million facelift and all rooms now have floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies, flat-screen TVs, free WiFi, king or double beds, terry bathrobes and in-room wet bars and refrigerators. My room, on the ocean side, glowed crimson each evening as light from the sunset sneaked in through the open balcony door. Sea lions on the jetty rocks serenaded me with their delightful chatter.
The three-story property is designed as one long building along the sea wall, with a small outdoor pool and hot tub sheltered behind a high wall. A fitness center, with a few new machines, occupies an interior room. With just one elevator to service all the rooms, I was concerned this would result in long waits, but it was never a problem. I did occasionally walk down the three flights when I got impatient after a few minutes. For East Coasters, it may take a day or two to acclimate to the casual, laid-back, southern California lifestyle.
Just south of the hotel is the historic Redondo Beach pier and a sweeping crescent of sun-splashed beach, leading to the pretty hillside town of Palos Verdes. The Portofino Hotel offers guests complimentary cruising bikes and I used one to ride north along the South Bay Bike Trail, a flat ribbon of concrete for walkers and bikers that parallels the ocean, all the way to Venice and Santa Monica. It’s a colorful path, filled with bikini-clad sunbathers, rubber-suited surfers and eclectic residential SoCal architecture.
The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club is part of Noble Hotels & Resorts' collection of deluxe properties and offers business or leisure travelers a unique option when visiting the Los Angeles area.
Score: ••••• Ron Bernthal
Vail Mountain Lodge & Spa is offering travelers a special nightly discount — based on the daily snowfall. Through April 19, the Spring Snowfall Savings is available Sunday through Thursday. Guests will receive a minimum 10 percent discount off room rates per night and an extra percentage off based on the daily snowfall report. For example, if the accumulation over a 24-hour period is nine inches, guests will receive a 19 percent savings off their nightly room rate. The property also offers spa, dining and fitness facilities. Call 866 476 0700 or visit the Web site.
Two domestic hotels are offering rewards for customer feedback. New York City’s GEM Hotel brand is offering a $50 credit for return visits to its three properties — Chelsea, SoHo and Midtown — to guests who share feedback online (video, hotel reviews, comments or photos on networking Web sites or blogs, etc.). Available through April 30, the hotel is also offering the initial stay at a special nightly rate. Visit the Web site. Through Aug. 21, guests staying at the Amway Grand Plaza, JW Marriott Grand Rapids or Downtown Courtyard by Marriott Grand Rapids can receive a $25 to $50 credit toward a future stay by sharing feedback online.
British Airways is offering two free nights in Europe to passengers who book a round-trip ticket from select U.S. gateways. Destination cities include London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Prague and Athens. Through March 13, the offer is available with reduced fares as low as $212. Travel is valid March 23 through Sept. 2. For more information, visit the Web site.
The Merrion, Dublin, is offering two St. Patrick’s Day packages. From March 16–19, the St. Patrick’s Shamrock Package includes accommodations for two-nights, full Irish breakfast for two, two arrival cocktails, two tickets for the parade and a small picnic box. From March 14–20, the St. Patrick’s Festival Special Offer includes accommodations, full Irish breakfast for two and two signature cocktails upon arrival. Call 353 1 603 0600, send an email or visit the Web site.
Through March 31, Hertz is offering double miles, points or credits. The special offer is valid on weekend rentals of two or more days or rentals of five or more days. The double miles, points or credits can be applied for AirTran, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Amtrak, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, Marriott Rewards, Midwest, Northwest, Priority Club, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country, United or US Airways. The deal also offers savings of up to $30. Make reservations online.
