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Travel Green
Future
aircraft could cut fuel use by 70%
By 2035, new designs and technologies
could help commercial aircraft burn 70%
less fuel than today, according to
researchers at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. Armed with a
$2.1 million NASA grant, MIT is studying
a "radical change" to the aircraft
design used for the past 50 years.
Instead of an "easily recognizable 'tube
and wing' structure," MIT researchers
are promoting a "double bubble" design
or an integrated wing concept. (Source:
CNET)
Read the full article.
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Destinations
Geologist
says Icelandic volcano has stopped
erupting
Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson, a geologist at
the University of Iceland, said the
Icelandic volcano, which caused flight
disruptions around the world, has
stopped erupting and is not likely to
resume in the near term. Gudmundsson
said activity in the crater has stopped
and the heat coming from the volcano
reached a maximum temperature of 212
degrees. (Source: Bloomberg)
Genoa emerges as one of Italy's
latest hot spots
Genoa, located on the Italian Riviera,
has long been seen as a stopping point
on the way to more glamorous
destinations such as Cinque Terre. A
scrub-down and restoration of Genoa's
waterfront along with an influx of
entrepreneurs has helped boost the
city's image. Now, Genoa is a bustling
seaside city with cosmopolitan wine bars
and interesting new restaurants.
(Source: The New York Times)
2010 hurricane season is expected to
be active, forecasters say
The 2009 Atlantic Ocean hurricane season
was relatively mild, but forecasters
expect this year's season to be fairly
active. Warmer-than-normal temperatures
on the sea surface off Africa's west
coast are contributing to the forecasts,
according to the National Hurricane
Center. (Source: Travel Weekly)
Get to know South Africa through its
sliced, dried meat
Across South Africa, biltong, a type of
sliced and dried meat, can be found
virtually everywhere from convenience
stores to wineries. But do not refer to
the South African delicacy as "jerky,"
at least not in the presence of a local.
To South Africans, biltong is a part of
their heritage, their culture and their
daily lives. (Source: Los Angeles Times)
Discover a kaleidoscope of colors in
Chile
The massive earthquake that struck Chile
earlier this year has made some people
apprehensive about taking a trip to the
South American country. But most of the
tourist areas were not affected by the
quake and the beauty of the country
remains. Visitors often note the variety
of colors found in Chile, including
fiery-red sunsets, bluish glaciers and
multicolored rock formations in Rainbow
Valley. (Source: TravelAge West)
Kansas City gets better with age
Kansas City, the metropolis that
straddles the Kansas-Missouri border,
has long been known for its laid-back
Midwestern charm, barbecue and smooth
jazz. But the city has been transformed
during the past decade into a culturally
rich destination. Next year, the
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
is set to open, further boosting the
standing of Kansas City. (Source: The
New York Times)
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Airlines and
Airports
DOT: Long
tarmac delays nearly eliminated in April
Airlines improved their on-time
performance in April, according to the
Department of Transportation, while
nearly eliminating long tarmac delays
that could result in massive fines.
Flights arrived on time 85.3% of the
time in April, an improvement of more
than 6 percentage points compared with
the year-earlier period. And while April
2009 saw 81 flights stuck on the tarmac
for three hours or more, the most recent
statistics show only four flights
exceeded the three-hour time limit.
(Source: The Associated Press)
Bumped passengers could become more
expensive for airlines
The Department of Transportation is
expected to announce that passengers who
are involuntarily bumped from a flight
will be paid up to $1,200 per incident.
Currently, airlines are required to pay
such passengers $400 to $800. The change
is aimed at forcing airlines to rein in
the practice of overbooking. (Source:
Detroit Free Press)
Airlines raise fuel surcharges for
flights to Europe
Airlines are imposing significantly
higher fuel surcharges, aimed at
offsetting higher oil prices, for
flights to Europe compared with what
they charged last year, according to
Bestfares.com. The surcharges are on top
of already higher airfares to Europe and
come as many airlines have implemented
other surcharges for domestic flights.
(Source: USA TODAY)
Germany, Netherlands Integrate
Trusted Traveler Programs With U.S.
The United States is integrating its
biometric-based trusted traveler
programs with those of the Netherlands
and Germany. These programs expedite
pre-approved, low-risk travelers
members’ trips through Customs upon
arriving in the country. Under these
partnerships, travelers can apply for
both the U.S. Global Entry and the
German Automated and Biometric Border
Control or the Netherlands Privium
programs simultaneously. (Source:
Department of Homeland Security).
First Bag Free With Delta SkyMiles
Beginning June 1st, travelers with a
Gold, Platinum or Reserve Delta SkyMiles
Credit Card from American Express — and
up to eight travel companions — may
check their first bag for free on Delta
and Delta Connection® flights. (Source:
Delta Press Release)
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Car Rental
Avis
Tries to Block Hertz-Thrifty Deal
A spurned suitor may throw a wrench into
Hertz’ plans to buy Dollar Thrifty
Automotive Group. Avis Budget Group told
the Dollar Thrifty board that it was
prepared to make a substantially higher
offer, saying that Avis had several
times expressed interest in acquiring
Thrifty. Avis said that the heads of the
two companies had date to discuss the
matter, but Thrifty canceled it when it
announced the Hertz deal. Acquiring
Thrifty would bulk up Hertz by about 300
domestic corporate locations and 1,250
international franchises. (Source: Hertz
and Avis press releases)
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Hotel
Four
Seasons allows owners to cut back on
some features
Some Four Seasons hotels are closing
their high-end restaurants on slow days,
while others are outsourcing laundry.
The hotel chain has agreed to ease up on
requirements for some of its signature
features as some of its owners are
struggling with financial challenges.
"Like most companies, when things are
going well there's always the sort of
excess that is allowed to be built in,"
said Isadore Sharp, founder and CEO at
Four Seasons. (Source: The Wall Street
Journal)
U.S. Hotel Industry Recovery Looks
Stronger Than Expected
The United States hotel industry should
do better than initially expected this
year, with occupancy increasing by 1.9
percent to 55.8 percent, according to
Smith Travel Research. In 2011, STR says
occupancy will increase 1.9 percent to a
still relatively low 56.8 percent and
average daily rates will increase 3.5
percent. The industry won’t be back to
2007 or 2008 levels, but the industry
should see two good years in a row, said
Mark Lomanno, STR’s president (Source:
STR press release).
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Cruise
Cruise
trends include cozy clubs, adventurous
excursions
Going on a cruise used to mean spending
the day lounging on the deck and filling
up at the all-you-can-eat buffet. These
days, cruise passengers have an
overwhelming number of choices for
dining and activities, some with a
technology twist. For example, on some
cruises, passengers have the opportunity
to learn a foreign language or a musical
instrument. (Source: The Globe and Mail
(Toronto))
Celebrity Cruises executive discusses
unlimited-beverage packages
Celebrity Cruises started testing
unlimited-beverage packages in December
and has introduced four plans that
passengers can purchase before their
cruise. Tony Tahmosh, beverage
operations manager at Celebrity,
discusses the development and whether he
believes it will spur excessive
consumption. "We were getting a lot of
requests last year for some kind of
package plan, and we really focused on
the convenience and value point of
view," Tahmosh said. (Source: Travel
Weekly)
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Spotlight on ..
Business Travel: Airline Security vs.
Privacy
A recent study found Americans are
willing to put up with some loss of
privacy in return for greater air
security.
- 93
percent said they are willing to
sacrifice some privacy.
- 65
percent said they would put up with
full electronic scans
- 57
percent would go through biometric
security checks such as iris scans
or fingerprints
- 72
percent said they would provide
personal data in advance
Source:
Unisys Security Index press release.
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