Travel Log: March 2004 Archives

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Gay & Lesbian World Travel Expo, DC, NY & Philadelphia

The Gay and Lesbian World Travel Expo, which has already taken place in Miami Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and LA, is coming in April to DC (April 27, 2004 at Hilton Embassy Row), New York (April 29, 2004 at Metropolitan Pavilion, Chelsea) and Philadelphia (May 1, 2004 at Wyndham Franklin Plaza).

BizNetTravel has a limited number of complementary tickets for the expo. Call us at toll free at (888) 824-9638 for details.

Details of the event are here.

On a related theme, Metrosource, "a lifestyle magazine that reflects the cultural tastes and interests of the urban gay community," is featuring its travel issue this month. More content in the magazine itself, on newstands now, than in the online version.

Rick Bruner | March 31, 2004 | Travel Ideas, Upcoming Events | Permanent link | Comments (1)

Southwest Focuses on Philly in Attempt to Kill U.S. Airways

Southwest Airlines is gunning for U.S. Airways, to hear this Business Travel News article tell it. At issue: Southwest is doubling to 28 daily its flights through the Philadelphia International Airport (press release). Business Travel News quotes US Airways CEO David Siegel telling employees, "Southwest is coming for one reason: They are coming to kill us. They beat us on the West Coast, and they beat us in Baltimore. If they beat us in Philadelphia, they're going to kill us." The man certainly knows how to pep up the troops, eh?

Rick Bruner | March 28, 2004 | News | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Get the 511 on Road Conditions

"411," the number for telephone directory assistance, has entered the popular slang vocabulary as "information." 911, of course, is what you call for emergencies, and, more recently, several cities, including New York, have adopted 311 as a source of miscellaneous city information (e.g., potholes, cats in trees, questions about Dept. of Education, you name it).

Well now there's 511, the number you call for travel information. That seems to mean particularly traffic conditions. Only a few cities so far have a 511 working, San Francisco chief among them, as described in this NPR story.

Rick Bruner | March 25, 2004 | Good Resources | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Reality TV "Airline" Resigned on A&E

Will the Park Forest soccer team
make it to their big game?
Tune in to "Airline" and find out

Is your idea of fun watching drunken people get refused boarding on a flight, seeing passengers stress out over lost luggage and gawking as large travelers get charged extra for needing a seatbelt extension? They you're in luck!

A&E's reality show Airline, which follows the daily travails of passengers and personnel at Southwest, has been signed up for a second season. Reuters reports.

Rick Bruner | March 24, 2004 | News | Permanent link | Comments (0)

French Sofitel Plans U.S. Expansion

Perhaps what the American hotel business could use these days is a bit more of a French touch. That is the hope of the Paris-based luxury hotel chain Sofitel, which is reportedly eying an expansion into the U.S. market. With only a dozen of its 160 hotels worldwide currently based in North America, the chain is looking to open new hotels in San Francisco, New Orleans, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver, according to a report in Travel Weekly.

At this stage, plans are more exploratory than definite, given the "soft economy," but the hotelier is in conversations with "interested parties" in the cities mentioned.

Rick Bruner | March 24, 2004 | News | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Starwood Opens Its First Mid-Priced Four Points Hotel in NYC

Starwood, the biggest hotel operator in NYC, has just opened the first of its mid-priced Four Points by Sheraton brand in Manhattan, on West 25th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, in the fashionable Chelsea neighborhood. Now Starwood has at least one hotel from each of its brands in New York -- Westin, Sheraton, St. Regis, W and Four Points.

To help fill the newly built 158-room hotel, Four Points is offering an introductory package with rates starting at $169 and $40 off a second night's stay through May 1, 2004. The hotel also features free high-speed Internet access, bottled water and newspapers in guest rooms, plus an introductory perk of a complimentary champagne turndown

Details in this press release.

Rick Bruner | March 24, 2004 | News | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Travel Advice for Single Parents

The Seattle Times has a great advice piece for single parents looking to plan vacations with kids. It points out that having to negotiate all aspects of travel as the only adult can be stressful, not to mention that many single-parent households are budget conscious and many "family" vacation packages require two adult fares in order to qualify for child discounts. Some words of wisdom the piece recommends:

• Travel with another adult (e.g., a family friend) if possible

• Stay in hotels with kitchenettes for economy sake

• Don't get overly ambitious in your travel plans. Slow it down, and stay at each destination at least 2-3 nights to keep grounded

Rick Bruner | March 24, 2004 | Advice, Travel Ideas | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Virgin Temporarily Insane, Raises Ire of NY Women With 'Art' Urinals

A Virgin executive's ear
might be more appropriate

Virgin Atlantic went just a little bit crazy last week and announced that it was installing urinals shaped like women's mouths (pictured here), manufactured by a Dutch firm, in the men's rooms in its new JFK clubhouse. But, hardly surprisingly, the announcement was greated with outrage by the National Organization of Women and other groups, and Virgin quickly backed off. D'oh! (Daily News reports.)

Rick Bruner | March 23, 2004 | News | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Travocity Packs Up Jobs for Trip to India

Virginia employees of Travelocity

The ongoing trend of outsourcing jobs to cheaper job markets overseas has its place in online travel industry as well, as Virginian Appalachian town Clintwood recently learned. Travel site Travelocity had bucked the spirits of that hard-luck town a few years ago by bringing high-tech hopes to a city that had seen coal mining and textile jobs disappearing for years. After a short stay, however, the dot-com business decided to move on yet again, this time bringing many jobs overseas to India, like so many firms in the news these days. Detroit News reports.

If you feel like giving your travel business to an old fashioned American Dreamer, consider BizNetTravel's story: an immigrant entrepreneur (our fearless leader Andras Revesz is a native-born Hungarian) creating jobs from scratch for residents of the good ole U.S. of A. (Okay, frankly, we're not so jingoistic in temperment, but anything for a bit of marketing spin.)

Rick Bruner | March 21, 2004 | News | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Mmmmm, AirlineMeals.net

Russia's Aeroflot, business class, Moscow to Barcelona

Can't get enough of airline food? Well, doubtful as that is, there is now a web site called AirlineMeals.net that features digital photos travelers send in of their meals, as well as vintage airline meals, first and business class menus (just to torture the rest of us in cattle class), crew meals, airport restaurants, and more. Guess it's to be expected when pervasive digital cameras meet hours of boredom in flight.

American Airlines, coach, Long Beach to Dallas. Mmmm.

Rick Bruner | March 17, 2004 | Good Resources | Permanent link | Comments (0)