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| Vol. 5 | Issue 15 | April 10, 2007 |    |
Thanks to the new Western Hemisphere Initiative requiring, among other things,
that Americans need passports for travel to the Caribbean and Mexico where previously
other official paperwork would suffice, there is a massive backlog in the passport
application process that is equally affecting passport renewals. As a result,
it can take up to 10 weeks to receive a new passport — not good news if
you’re planning a trip and just noticed your passport expires soon.
Applications by mail — and that includes first-time applications at a U.S. Postal Service office or other official government spot — are taking about four weeks longer than they used to do. Even the expedited service (which costs $60) is taking three or four weeks instead of the customary two. And those aren’t the only delays — it now takes three weeks (for regular service) or one week (for expedited requests) even to be able to check your application status online.
There are ways to hasten the process--maybe. You’ll speed up your expedited application if, in addition to using the proper form and enclosing your check, you write “expedite” prominently on the envelope. Local and regional passport offices now require appointments in most cases, and most give priority to those who can prove travel plans within two weeks. If you need to travel soon, call the National Passport Information Center at 877 4USAPPT; it’s open from 6 a.m. to midnight EDT Monday through Friday. If you must travel within seven days, there is a limited staff who will even take your call on weekends. But as with other passport processing, the phone lines are jammed; it may take multiple calls to get through to a human being.
Email forms are available on the Web site, but only for general inquiries
since — surprise! — they take a while to get answered, too. These
days, “passport” is spelled with three Ps — planning, patience
and persistence. 
Even as the Registered Traveler program expands to additional cities such
as Jacksonville, Fla., most business travelers haven’t exactly been waiting
with bated breath. According to a new survey commissioned by Deloitte & Touche,
the TSA program, which lets travelers who pre-register (and pass security screenings)
use special gates and ID cards to get through airport security more quickly,
is of little interest to most travelers. Of 1,580 adult travelers surveyed,
83 percent had no interest in enrolling, even though 54 percent said long lines
at security are their biggest airport complaint. The percentage of those interested
increased from 17 percent to 36 percent if employers would pay for their membership.
Why so much disinterest? Seventy-five percent of travelers cited privacy concerns.
If you like seeing video of your hotel before deciding where to stay, a new
Web site is bringing hotels to a screen near you. Instead of visiting various
hotel-company Web sites, which is where most hotel virtual tours reside, you
can soon go to Trivop.com, which
plans to aggregate hotel videos from various sources. The site, still in beta
test,
so far features the hotels of Paris.
Aer Lingus, which has been turning itself into a low-cost carrier, is now
charging passengers to reserve seats — at least for short-haul flights.
Online seat selection now costs $4. Starting the end of May, short-haul travelers
will also have the option to reserve seats in the first five rows for $13,
and exit-row seats for $20.
For those who miss their hotel amenities once they get home, the latest hotel
brand to help ease the transition is Radisson. Now there’s RadissonGuestBoutique.com,
where shoppers can buy anything from Sleep Number beds to geometric-patterned
duvet covers, wall-mounted hairdryers, and Asira Body Care amenities.
The Association of European Airlines and the U.K.’s Air Transport Users
Council have released their baggage statistics for 2006, and the numbers are
startling: On 24 airlines, 5.6 million bags went at least temporarily missing — that’s
15.7 bags for every 1,000 passengers. About 85 percent of the misplaced luggage
was returned within 48 hours, but a million items took longer than two days
to track, and some were never found. The biggest airlines operating at the
biggest airports tended to have the worst records, including Air France, Alitalia,
British Airways and Lufthansa. That’s because the risk of baggage mishandling
is a lot worse at major hubs and across connecting flights. According to SITA.com,
61 percent of lost luggage belongs to connecting travelers.
Silverjet, Newark-London
tel 877 359 7458
www.flysilverjet.com
What was once a rare treat is quickly becoming a trend among commercial airlines competing for the lucrative business-class market between the United States and Europe. I am talking about the single-class, premium-service flights that have been trying to carve a niche for themselves over the past several years.
I recently flew to from Newark’s Liberty International Airport (EWR) to London’s Luton Airport (LTN) on the newest of the transatlantic all-business-class airlines, Silverjet. Check-in at EWR is in the airline’s Silverjet lounge, currently a makeshift private room near Door 12, Level 2, at the far end of Terminal B. It’s a little difficult to locate, but well placed signage gets you there. Silverjet staff quickly checked my bag, issued a boarding pass, and ushered me into the lounge, filled with silver and white “space age” pod seats, and a light buffet of finger sandwiches, snacks, fruit and beverages. Obeying the airline’s instructions, I arrived at the lounge about 30 minutes before departure, so it did not matter that the lounge seating was not that comfortable, or that the buffet was not quite up to business-class standards. Within 10 minutes of my arrival the flight was called, and we were whisked through what looked like a private security line into the main terminal. Despite the condensed timeframe, passengers were onboard by our 7:30 p.m. departure time (a second flight, departing at 10:30 p.m., will be added in July).
Alas, our 7:30 pm departure was delayed an hour due to runway congestion at Newark, but cabin staff was attentive and friendly, and within minutes a personal audio/video console was delivered to the seat, along with Champagne and other refreshments. Silverjet uses Boeing 767s, painted silver and light blue, and configured with 100 flat-bed seats. My aircraft looked clean and new (although they are actually refurbished, immaculately). After takeoff, there was a choice of three entrees for dinner, along with appetizers, dessert, and full bar. My flat-bed seat (a model known as Majesty, made in France) had many confusing little buttons on the armrest control panel, but eventually I managed to get my seat to fold down and out, not quite absolutely flat but close enough, and certainly more comfortable than most regular business-class seats on the transatlantic route. An interesting addition to Silverjet flights is a “female-only” bathroom, which may or may not be politically incorrect, but it did look quite nice when I stole a peek toward the end of the flight.
After a satisfying breakfast, we landed at Luton Airport, located about 35 miles north of London. The airline has something special on the British side — its very own private terminal building about 100 feet from Luton’s main arrival and departure terminal. Arriving Silverjet passengers clear customs at the main terminal, but can then walk to the Silverjet terminal to have another breakfast if they desire, or to relax and make local phone calls before heading into the city. I used the terminal’s WiFi service to check email on my laptop, take a quick shower, and call my car rental company, which offered to drop the car off for me at the Silverjet terminal. The other options for getting into London are a fast express train (about 45 minutes), or a special Silverjet black English taxi (extra charge).
The amenities available at the private Silverjet Luton terminal were put to good use when I made the return trip to Newark a week later. I had breakfast in the terminal lounge two hours before the 10 a.m. flight, though it’s acceptable to check in as little as 30 minutes before flight time in this direction as well. Silverjet passengers use a special security lane within the private terminal, which means no crowds or lines, and a Silverjet bus takes you out to the waiting aircraft. This type of efficient, VIP treatment seems more like first-class service than business class, but you won’t get a complaint from me.
My flights on Silverjet were quite comfortable, and ground services at both ends, especially at the private terminal at Luton, were excellent. I understand that some passengers prefer flying into Heathrow, but personally, I like the smaller airports outside of London; they’re so much less crowded.
Score: ••••• Ron
Bernthal
More than 400 spas and day spas in 22 cities across the United States and
Canada will be celebrating Spa
Week between
April 16 and 22. During the promotion, all participating spas will offer at
least one signature treatment, from massages to microdermabrasion, at a discounted
rate of $50 — in some cases, more than a 50 percent savings. A portion
of the proceeds will go to Cancer
and Careers,
a nonprofit organization for working women with cancer. Participating spas
and their $50 offers are listed on the SpaWeek.org Web site.
Baseball fans visiting the nation’s capital can enjoy some special packages
at the Fairmont
Washington D.C. from
Opening Day through the end of the regular season. The Take Me Out to the Ballgame
package, good any night of the week, includes two round-trip Metro tickets
to RFK Stadium to see the Nationals play (provide your own tickets), Nationals
memorabilia, lodging and valet parking, for $269 double. The Grand Slam Exclusive
weekend package includes two premium tickets to a game, round-trip sedan service
to RFK, baseball caps, a room on the club-level floor, Sunday Champagne brunch,
and evening hors d’oeuvres; it costs $1,998 for two nights.
Reserve by April 15, and you can save at least 25 percent off normal rates
at the 40-plus Warwick
International Hotels.
The hotels and resorts are located in Africa, Asia, Europe, the United States
and the South Pacific. Use reservation code DUN1.
If you’re traveling to Southern California with the kids or grandkids — or
just want to make it up to them for going away — get them a glimpse of
Harry Potter heaven. Whimsic
Alley,
the Santa Monica store obsessed with all things Harry, can’t get you
an advance copy of the last Harry Potter book; that won’t be out until
July 21. But it does offer a free magic wand right away if you order the book,
which will ship later. The store itself is a magical mecca for would-be wizards,
decorated like a scene out of Hogwarts — or Dickens’ London — and
full of Potter regalia.
For those traveling with family or friends in Asia, Cathay
Pacific and www.dragonair.com
are teaming up to offer a deal to Hong
Kong Disneyland.
The Buy Three, Get One Free promotion includes economy airfare, four tickets
to Disneyland good for two days, and one night’s room for four, with
early check-in and late check-out. The package is priced per person, depending
upon gateway, and four people need only pay for three fares.
