Global Traveler's eFlyer

Vol. 4 \| Issue 05 \| January 31, 2006
	NEWS - RECORD-BREAKING RESULTS \| MORE CHANGES AT AMTRAK \| UNITED TAKES AIM AT D.C. \| IBIS BOWS IN BANGKOK \| EMIRATES EXPANDS ONLINE REVIEWS - MAXJET AIRWAYS DEALS - PRICE DROP IN NAPA \| A TICKET TO RIDE \| TEXAS-STYLE LUXURY \| VISITING THE NEIGHBORS \| HILTON’S SILVER BELLE




	Hotel Dives into New Frontier NOT CONTENT WITH BEING THE HOME OF MERELY THE world’s tallest hotel, the United Arab Emirates hot spot of Dubai is on track to welcome a $500 million underwater luxury hotel. Construction has begun on Hydropolis, a 220-suite property scheduled to open next year on the floor of the Persian Gulf. “There have been many visions of colonizing the sea — Jules Verne, Jean Gusto and several Japanese architects — but no one has ever managed to realize this dream,” Joachim Hauser, the hotel’s developer and designer, told the trade journal Intelligent Design and Build Innovations recently. “That was the most challenging factor, and that’s what makes it so fascinating.” The shallow-water hotel will be shaped as a bowl and will be positioned on the sea floor, planners say. It will have three components — a land station, a transparent connecting tunnel and the submarine hotel itself — covering some 27 acres. Among the project’s unusual architectural details are the hotel’s two translucent domes, which will house a concert auditorium and a ballroom that break the water’s surface. Rooms are expected to run in the neighborhood of $5,500 a night. Incidentally, Hydropolis isn’t the only underwater hotel in the works: A group called Poseidon Undersea Resorts is planning a five-star resort complex off the Bahamas. For more information, visit www.hydropolis.com or www.poseidonresorts.com




	Record-breaking Results CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES HAS REASON TO BREAK OUT THE CHAMPAGNE THIS MONTH, HAVING posted passenger figures that show it leaping into the top spot among Chinese airlines. It flew a record 44 million passengers in 2005, marking the largest single-year passenger total in the airline’s 27-year history. In December alone, it carried 63 percent more passengers than in the same month in 2004. Unofficially, China Southern’s 44-million-passenger mark would rank it within the world’s top 10 airlines. For more information, visit www.cs-air.com/en

	More Changes at Amtrak IN YET ANOTHER TWIST IN AMTRAK PRICING, THE RAIL COMPANY ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK THAT it would discount or boost fares on its Acela Express and Metroliner trains depending on the time of travel. Called “revenue management,” it’s the same ticket-pricing system that airlines and Broadway theater use to maximize profit: tagging the highest prices to the seats in the greatest demand. For Amtrak (which already uses revenue management on some of its regional lines), it will mean offering discounts of as much as 15 percent on its Acela Express and Metroliner trains during low-demand times, and hiking fares by a similar percentage during peak times, according to the Associated Press. The price change begins Feb. 6. In related news, about a week later Amtrak will cut the discount on its Smart Pass from 60 percent to 50 percent for Northeast Corridor travel. For more information, visit www.amtrak.com

	United Takes Aim at D.C. AS PART OF A MOVE TO MAKE ITS EAST COAST HUB AT WASHINGTON DULLES INTERNATIONAL Airport (IAD) a long-haul gateway, United Airlines has proposed taking over Independence Air’s 35 gates in Concourse A, according to a report last week in the Washington Post. The $4.3 million agreement, subject to approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, would enable United to transfer more passengers from commuter flights onto West Coast and international flights, the Post said. Independence Air stopped flying on Jan. 5, citing record fuel prices and intense competition. For more information, visit www.ual.com

	Ibis Bows in Bangkok ACCOR HAS LAUNCHED ITS IBIS ECONOMY BRAND IN THAILAND WITH TWO NEW PROPERTIES: the Ibis Siam Bangkok and the Ibis Huamark Bangkok. The 180-room Ibis Siam Bangkok is in Bangkok’s famed Pratunam shopping area, within walking distance of Suansantipab Park and the Victory Monument BTS SkyTrain station. The Ibis Huamark Bangkok features 269 rooms and is next to one of Bangkok’s largest shopping malls, Ramkamheng University and Huamark Stadium. In addition it is about 15 miles from the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport, due to open this summer. Both hotels feature high-speed Internet in all guestrooms and meeting facilities. For more information, visit www.ibishotels.com

	Emirates Expands Online THOUGH IT DEBUTED ITS INTERNET CHECK-IN PROGRAM IN JUST FOUR CITIES LAST OCTOBER, the Dubai-based airline Emirates has wasted no time expanding that service. Last week it announced it had added Internet check-in for seven major cities in Africa, bringing the overall total to 55 cities served across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Australia. Now passengers traveling from Accra (ACC), Alexandria (ALY), Cairo (CAI), Entebbe (EBB), Johannesburg (JNB), Lagos (LOS) and Nairobi (NBO) can select and secure their preferred seats and check in for their Emirates flight from their homes, hotels or offices by logging on to www.emirates.com




	A Class Act MaxJet Airways London Stansted (STN) to New York (JFK) www.maxjet.com In business just a few months, MaxJet is an airline that touts all-business-class service between New York and London’s Stansted Airport. Getting from central London to Stansted was easy, just 40 minutes on the Stansted Express train from Liverpool Station. At the airport, my check-in was fast and friendly, and I appreciated the VIP lane at the security checkpoint, accessed with my MaxJet boarding pass. Although the airline had not yet opened its flagship lounge in Stansted, there was a “lounge area” near the gate, a Scandinavian-style room with clean blond-wood floors, windows overlooking the runways, morning newspapers and a plentiful breakfast buffet that opened two hours before the scheduled 10 a.m. departure. At 9:30 everyone boarded the B-767 aircraft, and with only 27 passengers it went quickly. Configuration is 2-2-2, with 60-inch pitch, and almost-flat recline. The aircraft has been outfitted with just 102 seats, so there is lots of room even when full. Departure was at 10:07, and shortly after takeoff the flight attendants distributed personal “digi-players” — electronic devices containing about two dozen films and TV shows, along with music videos and audio channels. Screens were a little small, but headphones were padded and comfortable, and the device fit nicely on the armrest or tray table. Meal service was excellent, with a choice of salads, three entrees (beef, prawns or pork loin) and several dessert items. A chef’s pantry provided snacks and sandwiches during the flight, and lunch (chicken brochettes or smoked-salmon sandwiches) was served about an hour before landing. The flight had an arrival delay of about 30 minutes due to strong headwinds. Overall, the level of service and comfort was true business class. Although some business travelers will be tempted to use their frequent flyer miles on the major carriers, hopping across the pond on MaxJet is somewhat like being in your own private jet. Score: ••••• Ron Bernthal




	Price Drop in Napa Look for his ’n’ hers deals at the Silverado Resort this spring, as the Napa Valley, Calif., property has trimmed the price of two of its most popular packages, “Golfer’s Dream” and “Spa Girl.” The “Golfer’s Dream” package, available through Feb. 28, offers accommodations in a one-bedroom suite and 18 holes of golf per person per day for $199 nightly, double occupancy, Sunday through Thursday and $269 nightly, double occupancy, on Friday and Saturday. The “Spa Girl” package, priced at $219 per person per night for double or triple occupancy and $199 per person per night for a group of four, covers accommodations in a fireplace suite, a 50-minute spa treatment, breakfast at the new Grill at Silverado and use of spa facilities and tennis courts. Upon arrival, guests also receive a $10 gift certificate for use in the spa gift shop, a wine tasting at William Hill Estate Winery and a canvas tote. For more information, visit www.silveradoresort.com

	A Ticket to Ride Ski buffs hitting the slopes in Québec this season can get a lift from Hertz: The car rental company is giving free lift tickets to Mont Tremblant, Mont-Sainte-Anne or Stoneham Heading with qualifying car rentals. Customers receive a complimentary lift ticket for each rental from any participating Hertz location in Québec. Not headed to Canada? Renters can also take advantage of Hertz ski rates, available through April 30, at 32 car rental locations throughout North America. The rates knock $50 off weekly rentals and up to $20 off weekend rentals of Ford Escapes, Explorers, Expeditions, Excursions or similar sport-utility vehicles. For more information, visit www.hertz.com

	Texas-Style Luxury Book the “Four Seasons, Five Senses” package and dress to the nines, as there’s a truly luxe getaway for lovers now available from the Four Seasons Hotel Austin in Texas. If you’ve got $5,700 and are looking to do it up right this Valentine’s Day, check this out: a one-night stay in the presidential suite, round-trip limousine service from the airport, a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne, four dozen roses, a six-course dinner with wine pairings served en suite, and musical accompaniment by a classical guitarist or violinist. An 80-minute aromatherapy couples massage in your suite, a whirlpool bath by candlelight, two monogrammed keepsake robes and breakfast round out the “Five Senses” package. For more information, visit www.fourseasons.com/austin

	Visiting the Neighbors Flyers headed for the Great White North may have to shell out less of the green stuff to get there, as American Airlines has launched a sale on round trips to Canada. Prices start at $226, and are valid for travel through mid-April. Sample round-trip fares include New York (EWR) to Montreal (YMX), $226; Boston (BOS) to Toronto (YYZ), $250; Chicago (ORD) to Ottawa (YOW), $267; and Dallas (DFW) to Vancouver (YVR), $349. Travel is valid daily through April 12. American has not listed a booking deadline, but you must book at least 14 days in advance. For more information, visit www.aa.com

	Hilton’s Silver Belle The Hilton Cartagena, Colombia, is celebrating its silver anniversary with a $2 million makeover and special discounts for guests. The 25th-anniversary offer, good through May 31, includes a 25 percent discount on room rates, a 25 percent discount on hotel dining and a commemorative souvenir. During its four-year makeover, the Hilton Cartagena updated all 288 guestrooms, redecorated its lobby and opened a business center with secretarial services, high-speed Internet access and wireless Internet connection. For more information, visit www.hilton.com


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