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Volume 6, Issue 47, November 26, 2008 |
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Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday travel season. With an unstable economy, many are wondering what to expect when they hit the road. Here is what you can anticipate for the holiday season.
Forty-one million people are expected to travel by car, plane, bus or train this holiday season. The number is 1.4 percent less than last year, the first drop in holiday travel since 2002. Air travel is expected to drop 7.2 percent, but the roads will continue to be busy, as 80 percent of travelers are driving to their holiday destinations. The Air Transport Association has predicted flights will reach 90 percent capacity during the Thanksgiving period. Las Vegas, New York and Chicago are the top three destinations for holiday travelers this season.
The Bush administration has implemented a number of measures to help ease the stresses of holiday travel. The military will open three of their flight routes to commercial aircraft. The routes, in Colorado, Arizona and Southern California, are in addition to extra East Coast routes that were opened last year. Airline fees for lost baggage and airline consumer violations will be raised by mid-December, in time for the Christmas travel push, in an attempt to curb violations. Bush also announced plans that require airlines to file airport-specific plans for handling lengthy tarmac delays. The measures have been both praised and criticized by various travel organizations.
Three new runways have opened at major domestic airports in time for the holiday rush. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) opened its fourth runway, while Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) opened its new runway in the midst of its multi-billion dollar modernization project. Seattle Tacoma International Airport’s (SEA) new runway is a welcome addition, as it will allow two planes to take off and land concurrently during inclement weather.
Samsung installed 115 charging stations at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Miami Intercontinental Airport (MIA) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). The charging stations will give busy holiday travelers a chance to recharge electronic devices for free.
Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your holiday travels! 
For the past few months, Alitalia’s future was shaky, but last week the Italian government approved the €1 billion sale of the airline. Alitalia will be sold to investment consortium Italian Air Company and will relaunch Dec. 1. The approval follows other regulatory approvals granted by E.U authorities two weeks ago. The airline is still seeking a foreign partner to take a minority stake in the relaunched product. Buzzed-about possible partners include Lufthansa and Air France/KLM, however, decisions have been delayed through the end of the year. Plans are to retain 12,500 workers, while approximately 3,250 workers could lose their jobs.
TSA administrator Kip Hawley recently announced that shoe scanning equipment is being tested at Los Angeles International (LAX) and Albuquerque International (ABQ). This announcement comes about one year after TSA officials concluded that shoe-scanning technology, created by GE and tested at Orlando International Airport (MCO), did not meet minimum detection standards. GE is continuing to work on the product while the TSA tests similar equipment from other manufacturers. In the meantime, the TSA is launching a new advertising campaign to explain the reasoning behind many unpopular security measures, such as shoe removal and the liquids ban.
Two American carriers have set their sights internationally. United Airlines recently announced daily non-stop service between Washington, D.C. (IAD) and Geneva (GVA). Newly reconfigured aircraft featuring flatbed seats in first and business class will service the route. The airline will also reinstate daily service between Denver (DEN) and London (LHR). The service will be active March 2009 through October 2009.
In other news, Southwest Airlines is taking small steps toward offering international service. It will team with WestJet to offer travel to Canada by late 2009 and the airline recently announced plans to team with Volaris to offer service to Mexico by 2010. Southwest is planning a technology upgrade that will enable reservations systems to handle more international travel. Plans for Hawaiian and Caribbean travel are also being discussed. Southwest is looking to expand through codeshare agreements, with an ultimate goal of offering flights to Europe and Asia.
Current economic conditions have bolstered interest in premium-economy travel. The “in-between” class allows companies and individuals to save money without sacrificing comfort. For only a few hundred dollars more than economy class, many international carriers offer premium economy service with more legroom, wider seats, more recline, early boarding, access to faster airport lines, quality meals, amenity kits and power outlets, creating a viable option for international business travelers on the go, but also on a budget!
The Oneworld airline alliance appointed Gerard Arpey, chairman and chief executive of American Airlines, as chairman of the Oneworld governing board. Arpey will succeed Geoff Dixon, CEO of Qantas, who served for the last two years. Dixon is retiring from his position at Qantas. Arpey will act as “first among equals” in the grouping of airline chief executives and will see the alliance through its 10th anniversary in February 2009. The alliance is also hoping to gain anti-trust immunity, which will allow them to work together in the same way as other alliance competitors. The immunity will allow them to offer customers additional services and benefits.
University of Connecticut
855 Bolton Road
Storrs, CT 06268
tel 860 427 7888
www.nathanhaleinn.com
Nathan Hale, Connecticut’s state hero, was born in Coventry, just down the road from the University of Connecticut, where the 100-room Nathan Hale Inn & Conference Center occupies a small piece of the sprawling 4,000-acre campus. The colonial-style hotel opened in 2001.
It is unusual to find a privately owned conference center and hotel on a college campus that does not have a hotel or culinary department, but the property is doing quite well by staffing with well-trained students from other disciplines and local residents. For hotel guests, many here for mid-week conferences or other university-related business, the hotel offers free WiFi, five meeting rooms and in-room microwaves and refrigerators.
In my room the TV did not swivel out from its wood cabinet — a minor issue as it meant that I had to rotate the heavy cabinet in order to watch the set from the desk. The furnishings were adequate, but planned room renovations should bring some needed updates to the upholstered sofa and chair. Hopefully, the upgrades include flat-screen HDTVs that can be watched from all areas of the room.
The indoor pool was not luxurious, but it was suitable for a few quick laps, and the fitness room was small with new equipment. The property boasts the Blue Oak Restaurant, which serves a casual breakfast and a more formal, white-tablecloth fine-dining service for lunch and dinner. The True Blue Tavern (think “Husky” blue) is a cozy sports bar with photos and artifacts from UConn’s sports teams. This off-lobby bar is a great spot for a late-night burger and a beer, and when the Huskies basketball team plays a game at nearby Gampel Pavilion, a five-minute walk away, it’s standing room only in front of the tavern’s TV sets.
The nearest chain hotels are about 10 miles away, but the Nathan Hale Inn’s location on campus is perfect for university-related business and academic conferences, as well as leisurely visits to UConn’s Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, the William Benton Museum of Art and the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry. The hotel’s namesake, Nathan Hale, was only 21 in 1776 when the British hanged him, and the Nathan Hale Homestead, a few miles from the hotel, is certainly worth a visit.
Score: ••••• Ron Bernthal
In celebration of its recent opening, the St. Regis Punta Mita is offering the Taste of Luxury introductory package. Through Dec. 19, the package includes deluxe garden room accommodations, breakfast for two, signature butler service and access to exercise and spa services. A minimum three-night stay, with the fourth night free, is required. Rates begin at $785 per night. Call 877 787 3447 or book online.
As a thank you to holiday passengers, BMI has announced vacation packages and shopping discounts. The carrier is offering packages from Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO) and Philadelphia (PHL) starting from $1,070 for six nights, including flights and hotels. BMI passengers stopping at Heathrow are eligible for more great perks, including a free tin of loose leaf tea (if you spend over GBP 50) at Harrod’s, treatments at Urban Retreat and 20 percent off services, a free pot of tea and commission-free currency exchanges. To learn more about the offer, which ends Dec. 23, visit the Web site.
Through Dec. 30, golfers can hit the links with the Winter Golf Escape at TPC Sawgrass and the Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott resort, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Beginning at $405 per night, the package includes three-nights’ accommodations, a one-hour lesson at the Tour Academy, TPC Sawgrass welcome amenities, a round of golf on The Players Stadium course, two rounds of golf on Dye’s Valley Course, a personal forecaddy on both courses and practice balls. Visit the Web site or call 888 421 8555 for more information.
The Eldorado Hotel & Spa, located in Santa Fe, N.M. is the perfect place to relieve stress this winter. Through March 31, the resort is offering complimentary spa services for every room night booked. For only $199 a night, guests can enjoy accommodations and a massage or facial at the Nidah Spa. Treatments are typically valued at $130. There are no limits on room nights or treatments. Call 800 955 4455 or book online. Reference code PKGNID or mention Relieve Stress Package when making reservations.
Through Dec. 31, American Express Membership Rewards members can receive a Delta SkyMiles bonus. Members who transfer Rewards Points into their SkyMiles account will receive a 30 percent mileage bonus. Transfer 5,000 points, receive 6,500 miles. Transfers must be made in 1,000-point increments. Register online.
