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Volume 6, Issue 2, January 16, 2008 |
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Clear, the company that first began operating Registered Traveler lanes at airports, is serious about the need for speed. Last year, its attempt to install GE shoe scanners hit a glitch when it became apparent that the scanners gave a false positive on shoes that contain metal. While pursuing a new generation of that model, and other machines, that can better detect trace explosives, Clear is upping the ante by offering a $500,000 prize to the first team to develop faster — and TSA-approved — security-lane technology. In addition to offering the cash incentive, Clear will purchase the winning technology and deploy it throughout its network of Registered Traveler lanes at U.S. airports. “We are intensely focused on making sure that our lanes maintain a substantially higher throughput, and accommodate more passengers, than non-Clear lanes,” said Clear CEO Larry Zmuda. Technology submitted for consideration must speed up security transit by at least 15 percent, cost less than 25 cents per passenger when operating at full capacity, and initially be compact enough to be deployed at least three airports.
While it explores new technology, Clear is also taking a personal approach to enhancing the security process. The company has introduced Clear Concierges; attendants who help passengers remove their coats and shoes and retrieve and re-pack their carry-on items. More than 87,000 people are now registered with Clear, which currently operates at 13 U.S. airports. Denver International (DEN) opens its Clear program later this month, and four more airports, including both Dulles (IAD) and Reagan (DCA), are due to begin their operations this winter. 
Since fast security lines are still a thing of the future, advertisers are flocking to make impressions on the captive audience of queue-dwellers. The latest: ads on the inside bottoms of the trays and bins into which you have to insert your personal belongings. A company called SecurityPoint Media is partnering with printer Azuna to produce deep dimensional graphics that makes the ads “pop.” The ads look 3D, but you don’t have to wear funny glasses to get the full effect.
Killing time at the airport could become a lot more fun if a new chain of retail stores called Techshowcase has its way. The first Techshowcase just opened at Oakland International Airport’s (OAK) Terminal 2, and the next is due at Miami International (MIA) Terminal J in February. Trying for an atmosphere that’s more like a hands-on science museum than a retail store, Techshowcase is manned by “technology consultants” who demonstrate and let you try out various electronic devices. Sixteen more airport stores at 11 other major metropolitan airports are under contract. The stores will carry everything from batteries to cell phones and BlackBerries to Palm Pilots to “luxury electronics” such as media players, gaming devices and noise-reduction headphones. 
If you do business in downtown New York City, Tribeca is a great place to go, with terrific restaurants such as Chanterelle, Nobu and Bouley. But hotels in Tribeca (the triangle below Canal Street bordered by Chambers Street, the Hudson River and Broadway) can be hard to come by. Now there’s a new one: The Duane Street Hotel. The six-story hotel has 45 rooms in three sizes, with custom-designed furniture, slate-and-marble baths, work space, high-speed and WiFi Internet access, and 32-inch plasma TVs. In addition to its own restaurant, ’Beca, neighborhood restaurants deliver to hotel guests, and in-room spa services can also be ordered.
URBN Hotel Shanghai, which opened this month, has become, it claims, the first carbon-neutral hotel in China. The 26-room boutique property, near the French Concession district, combines Shanghai chic with Western comforts; minimalist rooms have king-size beds, luxury linens, flat-screen TVs, stone walk-in showers, and free wireless Internet. The hotel will calculate all its energy usage, from power to food delivery and staff commuting, calculate the carbon footprint, and neutralize it by investing in “green” projects in China. Hotel guests may also purchase carbon credits to offset their flights to and from Shanghai.
If your passport expires within six months or doesn’t have enough pages, you could be turned away from an international trip. Now passport expediter ItsEasy.com has opened a 24-hour service in Terminal 4 at Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Replacement of expired passports can often be accomplished within 24 hours, it claims, and extensions or extra pages can be handled faster. At the kiosk, an ItsEasy representative will tell the passenger exactly how long their request will take so he or she can reschedule their flight, if necessary.
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
7575 East Princess Dr.
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
tel 480 585 4848; fax 480 585 008
www.fairmont.com/scottsdale
During a recent visit to the Scottsdale Princess, I kept thinking that the property must be at least 40 years old. Not that it looked worn or poorly maintained, but the Spanish colonial style architecture, the terra cotta color of the buildings, the sprawling size and layout of the grounds, and the semi-formal, wood-beamed lobby interior seemed to exude the atmosphere of a Southwestern resort, circa 1960.
But the Princess actually opened in 1987, and hidden behind the various faux historic building façades are 31 modern meeting rooms and a Willow Stream-branded spa with 44,000 square feet of luxurious treatment rooms, a rooftop pool, sauna and steam rooms, and a glass-enclosed fitness center. All 651 guestrooms are equipped for high-tech communications. The hotel’s soft and earthy architecture certainly fooled me.
My bedroom was in one of the 10 casitas clustered at the far end of the property. Each casita houses about 10 deluxe rooms, and each room has a lovely gas fireplace, a terrace with table and chairs, and a huge tiled bathroom. A private parking lot and separate casita guest pool add to the ambience, making a stay in this part of the resort somewhat like living in a small, exclusive neighborhood.
Cool weather kept me out of the swimming pools, although all five are heated, but I took advantage of the sunshine by playing tennis, jogging on the nearby palm-tree-lined streets, and walking around most of the property’s 450 acres. Corporate guests love the proximity of the meeting rooms to the guestrooms and recreational facilities, and most of the hotel’s business comes from conference and incentive groups. Families and couples come in on weekends and vacation periods. I didn’t have a chance to try the award-winning La Hacienda Mexican restaurant, but the LV Bistro was a good casual dining venue for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The Scottsdale Princess does not have the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture of the Arizona Biltmore, or the stunning red sandstone backdrop of The Boulders Resort, or even the scintillating history of the Hotel Valley Ho, a beautifully restored 1950s Scottsdale landmark. But the Princess’ rooms are large; there is plenty to do on properties; and the Fairmont-trained staff welcomes both leisure and business guests with an enthusiastic spirit.
Score: ••••• Ron Bernthal
Northwest Airlines is offering a winter sale that lets travelers use 10,000 or 20,000 WorldPerks miles to qualify for low fares. Inside the United States, fares start at your choice of $89 plus 20,000 miles or $198 plus 10,000 miles, round trip. To any Europe destination served by Northwest or KLM, round-trip fares start at $298 plus 20,000 miles ($388 with 10,000). And to Asia, prices start at $488 round trip with 20,000 miles (add $110 if you use 10,000 miles). Tickets must be purchased at least 14 days in advance of travel and no later than Feb. 16, and require a Saturday night stay.
NYC & Co., New York City's tourism bureau has a special offer from its Signature Collection of top hotels: Until Feb. 29, book two consecutive nights and get the third night free. Participating hotels include the Jumeirah Essex House, Mandarin Oriental, Pierre, Palace and Plaza Athenee. The deal also includes a VIP shopping package at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Enter Disney's Delicious Dreams sweepstakes by Jan. 31 for a chance to win a trip for four to Evian-les-Bains, France. Three grand prizes will be awarded, one to a Canada resident and two to U.S. residents. Each prize includes round-trip economy travel on Air France to Geneva, transfers to and from the Royal Park Evian Resort and Spa, four nights’ lodging, breakfast each day, four spa treatments, and $500 in spending money. You must register for Disney Movie Rewards to complete your entry, but can opt out of further involvement. Only one entry per person is allowed.
If you buy three round-trip or six one-way tickets between any cities served by Acela through March 15, you can earn a free round-trip business class Acela ticket. Qualifying trips must cost at least $80 one-way ($160 round-trip). Register before traveling; earn up to eight free tickets, which can be used through Aug. 31. Once you are registered, free tickets will be automatically posted to your account as they are earned.
Book by Jan. 31 to pay as little as $900 round trip to fly to Auckland (AKL) from either Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO) on Air New Zealand. Add $120 to make three more stops inside New Zealand. Additional taxes and fees are about $70. The Northwest Cash & Miles Sale sale is good for travel between April 1 and May 31.
