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Volume 6, Issue 3, January 23, 2008 |
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Several close calls at and around airports were in the news over the past week. At the same time, statistics were released that show 2007 was the safest year in domestic aviation since 2001. Those two sets of facts are not mutually exclusive.
The British Airways near-crash of a Boeing 777 at Heathrow (LHR) last week is a case in point — as much a cause for relief as for concern. The aircraft, on final approach on a trip from Beijing (PEK), was just two miles out and 600 feet up when it lost all power. The loss of power resulted in a steeper glideslope than had been planned, so the plane landed 1,000 feet short of its intended touchdown point. Landing in grass may have actually saved the aircraft, which bellied out as its landing gear broke away. The seemingly miraculous ability of the pilots to wrestle the huge and powerless aircraft to a landing is a tribute both to their skill and to the plane’s engineering. No one died; the most serious injury was a broken leg.
Closer to home, two aircraft at Newark Airport (EWR) came within 600 feet of each other in altitude and 1.25 miles in horizontal distance (minimum separation is 1,000 feet in altitude and three miles horizontal) when an air traffic controller in New York put one of the pilots on the wrong frequency. Both were Continental flights, one from Phoenix and one from Nova Scotia. In Atlanta (ATL), two aircraft came within seconds of colliding when, reports indicate, an Atlantic Southeast Airlines pilot did not immediately respond to controller instructions to stop short of a runway on which a Delta 757 was on its takeoff roll. In neither case were any passengers injured. In both cases, systems of checks and balances ultimately caught the problems in time.
Last year was only the second time in two decades that there were no passenger fatalities or major accidents among U.S. airlines. There has only been one fatality on the major U.S. carriers since 2001. The other year with no fatalities was 1998. Since then, and particularly since 2001, aircraft manufacturers, airlines and airports both in the U.S. and in other industrialized nations have vastly improved their safety monitoring systems.
In the past 60 years, the average annual number of fatalities per 100,000 commercial passengers on U.S. carriers has dropped from 1,300 to 8.9. 
A new online tool on the Star Alliance Web site lets customers of any of the alliance’s 19 member airlines plan and price routes and fares. It can even do the complex calculations for Circle Fares and air passes across multiple airlines. Once the traveler computes an itinerary, it can be transferred to any member airline or travel agent for booking.
Asia travel is getting greener. Now you can buy carbon offsets for travel on both Cathay Pacific and Dragonair — and in what may be a global first, you can pay for the offsets with either cash or miles. The Web sites of both airlines offer a Fly Greener section where you can calculate your trip’s carbon dioxide emissions by both distance and class of seating, and opt to purchase offsets either with your credit card or with miles in the airlines’ loyalty programs.
In a hurry? Hyatt wants to help, with several new initiatives geared to helping travelers avoid waiting on line. The new Web-In, Web-Out program offers online check-in and check-out for more than 100 of Hyatt’s North American properties. You can check in online anytime after 1 p.m. your day of arrival, and then proceed directly to a special lobby kiosk to pick up your key. Sign up for online check-out and you’ll be emailed your final bill with a link for completing payment online. Web-Out is brand new, and Web-In was previously available only to Hyatt Gold Passport members. In Denver, where Clear’s Registered Traveler program has been activated this month, the Grand Hyatt Denver Downtown and the Hyatt Regency Tech Center are each hosting a Clear enrollment station, saving would-be enrollees a trip to Denver International Airport (DEN) .
Remember those short summaries of famous books that helped you get through school? Now there’s an upscale version for the busy business traveler, with a mileage bonus to help get your attention. GetAbstract.com is a subscription service that provides five-page abstracts of the top 4,000 business books, in formats geared to road warriors: Versions are available as PDFs, audio downloads for mp3 players, or in text forms for the Palm, MS Reader, or Blackberry. A subscription to the service costs $179 for six months or $299 for a year, and comes with up to 10,000 Delta SkyMiles.
Starwood Hotels, which has been expanding rapidly in India, has just opened that country’s first Westin: The Westin Sohna Resort, 90 miles from New Delhi International Airport (DEL). The deluxe property has an Ayurvedic spa, ample meeting facilities, 97 rooms and stand-alone suites, four restaurants, and the latest technology including wireless Internet and LCD flat-screen TVs.
The Kimberly Hotel
145 E. 50th St.
New York, NY 10022
tel 212 702 1600
www.kimberlyhotel.com
I’m a New Yorker, even if I don’t live there any more, and there’s nothing a New Yorker likes better than finding a good apartment. So I was delighted to be upgraded to a one-bedroom suite at The Kimberly, an antiques-filled European-style 192-room boutique hotel.
After a pleasant and speedy check-in in the medium-size lobby, the bellman and I took a leisurely trip up to the ninth floor, in a baroque-style elevator with a barrel-vault ceiling painted to look like the sky. The prettiness of the elevator helped somewhat to offset its slowness — a recurrent theme throughout my stay, but one that will be resolved by April, when an additional elevator bank comes into service.
My room had a kitchenette with a full-size refrigerator, dishwasher, sink and microwave, dishes, silverware and lots of cupboard space. It opened to the living room, which housed comfortable upholstered chairs and a sofa, an antique armoire that hid a small television, and a large desk with wired high-speed Internet access. Closets were ample — one off the entry, one in the hallway leading to the bedroom and bath, and another in the bedroom. The bedroom had a king-size bed with luxurious high-thread-count Mascioni bedding and an extremely comfortable pillow-top mattress, plus a large LCD flat-screen TV equipped with access to pay movies, music and games.
My bathroom was modern enough, though tiny — I had to close the door behind me in order to stand at the sink. However, I toured a collection of other rooms in the hotel, including the standard guestrooms, and mine was by far the smallest bath I saw. Some of the specialty suites, which have an extra half-bath, even have a Jacuzzi in the master bath. Even with the tiny bath, I enjoyed having a “New York apartment” that would be considered deluxe, by virtue of location and square footage, by any city resident.
Room service was fast and courteous, as was the service in Ferro’s restaurant off the lobby, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and fulfills the room service menu. The only thing I would do differently when I return would be to request a one-bedroom on a higher floor — most of those have terraces with lovely city views. The main section of the hotel has 29 floors, topped with a penthouse meeting room that has a wraparound terrace. Click here to see some pictures.
Score: ••••• Mary Hunt
British Airways has brought back the popular deal it briefly offered before the holidays: Sale fares that include two nights’ stay at good hotels in London. Given the strength of the pound relative to the dollar, London hotels are pretty pricey these days, so this is a genuine bargain. Fares start at $358 round-trip from New York (JFK) or Washington, D.C. (IAD), plus some taxes and fees. Book at least seven days ahead, travel Monday through Wednesday, and stay over a Saturday night to qualify. Add $125 each way to upgrade to World Traveller Plus (premium economy) class.
Golfers who are fans of Phil can get a chance to chat with him — and have that chat included in a national TV commercial — by entering the Meet With Phil contest. Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, sponsors of the contest and the ad campaign, is looking for people in any of six categories: big Phil fans, golfers with advice for Phil, lefties, people who look like Phil, people who’ve been hit by one of Phil’s golf balls, and kids who want to be Phil when they grow up. To enter, upload your story or video to the contest site by Feb. 3.
Coming soon: Between Feb. 15 and May 15, Marriott’s Megabonus program will be reactivated. Once you register, you earn 5,000 bonus Marriott Rewards points for every second Marriott stay during the awards period, up to a maximum of 25,000 points.
Rent a car from Thrifty by May 15 and you could earn triple miles on any of eight participating airlines. To qualify, you must book a midsize or larger car for at least three consecutive days. Book online at least 24 hours in advance, and use promotion code TH8S. Choose to credit your triple miles to your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, American AAdvantage, ATA Travel Awards, Continental OnePass, Delta SkyMiles, Northwest WorldPerks, United Mileage Plus or US Airways Dividend Miles account.
Buy by Jan. 31 to take advantage of Air France’s Winter Escape sale to Europe. Good for travel from Jan. 29 to March 23, the economy-class sale fares start at $396 round-trip (plus about $140 in taxes and fees). Routes on sale are those from any of Air France’s 13 U.S. gateways to a long list of European destinations. Seven-day advance purchase and a Saturday-night stayover are required.
