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| Volume 5, Issue 22, May 29, 2007 |    |
The concept of leaving early to avoid the rush is extending into air travel this summer. Amid warnings of a heavy summer travel season, United Airlines has decided to more than double the number of its flights departing before 6 a.m.; will other airlines follow suit?
Along with expectations of the busiest air travel season in at least five years, the FAA also released its latest study of capacity needs in the national airspace system. While the study was underway, Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport (ATL) was warned in 2004 to expand immediately; it added another runway and tower. Now the FAA has identified 56 U.S. airports that will need to expand or risk chronic delays by 2025. Three others identified as needing to expand immediately — in other words, already operating at full capacity — are New York’s LaGuardia (LGA), Newark Liberty (EWR), Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL).
Airlines, however, have to deal with today’s airports and air traffic. So United decided to schedule earlier departure times in about 20 U.S. cities, starting in June. The flight times have been moved up an average of 15 minutes, none earlier than 5:30 a.m. Almost 400 more flights will leave before 6 a.m. than on last June’s timetable.
The Chicago Tribune, United’s hometown newspaper, reported that United hopes the earlier flights will appeal to last-minute business travelers eager to go, get their business done and get home. 
Avianca has contracted to become the first Latin American carrier to own and fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, agreeing to purchase 10 of the aircraft with options for 10 more. The purchase cost of the first 10 is $1.5 billion. Avianca said it will replace its B767s and 757s on its routes between Colombia and Madrid (MAD), Barcelona (BCN), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), Buenos Aires (BUE), Sao Paulo (GRU) and Santiago (SCL), beginning in 2010.
Clear Registered Traveler, which now runs Clear fast-pass lanes for registered travelers at Orlando (ORL), Indianapolis (IND), Cincinnati (CVG), San Jose (SJC) and New York-JFK Terminal 7, has partnered with Hyatt to test a Clear enrollment kiosk in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency San Francisco. San Francisco International (SFO) plans to add the RT program later this year. To enroll, you must have two pieces of government and ID (preferably a passport and driver’s license), and Clear recommends that you visit its Web site at www.flyclear.com first.
Gilgamesh Restaurant and Lounge, the huge Babylonian-theme restaurant that opened in London’s Camden Town last year, is taking advantage of its dramatic décor and high-ceilinged acoustics by introducing Tuesday Opera Nights. Each Tuesday a trio from the Oyster Opera will perform at 8:30 p.m. and again at 9:30 p.m. A special five-course Opera Menu, including Champagne, costs about $117 per person.
American Airlines is readying a customer-friendly new version of its AA.com Web site that makes it a lot easier for would-be passengers to see all available flights and fares. Flight search results will be presented on a grid, and give the fare names (e.g., Super Saver, First Flexible) rather than arcane codes, as well as prices. You can preview a demo; the airline promises that the real thing will go live soon.
Although many airlines have added the ability to use mobile phones to handle some aspects of booking or flight checks, Northwest has now made its entire Web site mobile-accessible. Travelers who have Internet access on their phones or PDAs can now go to nwa.com or mobile.nwa.com and see a low-graphics format for all the site navigation — booking, check-in, flight search, seat assignments etc. The new format automatically detects your particular browser type and formats Northwest’s information to fit your mobile screen.
Redwoods
247 Central Ave.
St. Petersburg, FL
tel 727 896 9118
www.redwoods-restaurant.com
When Redwoods first opened in downtown St. Petersburg five years ago, many thought the city wasn’t ready for a modern, upscale restaurant — and at the time, they were right. But nowadays, St. Pete is becoming quite the business center, what with several nearby universities starting to generate biotech investment and a generally influx of money into the area. The downtown has become positively trendy — not South Beach, maybe, but not your grandma’s St. Pete either.
I took several clients to dinner at Redwoods on the recommendation of a friend, and it turned out beautifully. We were all impressed by the high ceilings, leaded windows, copper bar, muted lighting, objets d’art and assiduous service. And the menu matched — ambitious, but not obnoxious.
We tried some of the specialties, including the fried hearts of palm appetizer and the smoked pork chops, and I tried to smile unconcernedly as one of my guests ordered the seared foie gras and the Kobe beef filet; we also took our time, and had a second bottle of really nice medium-priced Bordeaux.
The meal was both impressive and good, all of which contributed to some very productive relationship-building. And while the final tab was expensive for St. Pete, coming to about $60 a person (my $17 pork chops balancing out his steak), we would have paid twice as much for an equally good dining experience in a major city.
Score: ••••• Mary Hunt
Ethiopian Airlines has just announced a last-minute seat sale to Addis Ababa (ADD) from 15 U.S. cities for travel June 1-15 The round-trip sale fares start at $1,274 from the Northeast and top out at $1,386 from the West Coast. Fares are refundable (with a $200 penalty) and minimally restricted; you must buy the ticket within three days of making the reservation.
From June 15 through Aug. 31, if you travel in a premium class on Emirates to or via Dubai, the airline will give you at least one night’s lodging free. Business-class travelers get one free night at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers; first-class passengers get two nights at The Ritz-Carlton Dubai. Both include breakfast, and the choice of either a Sundown Dune Dinner Safari or $100 credit toward food, beverage and/or spa facilities at your hotel.
The big light welterweight title fight, featuring current champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton, is happening in Las Vegas on June 23, and MaxJet wants to make you a winner. No, you don’t have to get into the ring; you can enter a contest through midnight May 31 to win a four-night stay at Caesars Palace, two tickets to the fight, and two round-trip tickets between Las Vegas (LAS) and London (STN). Also, if you happen to buy a STN-LAS ticket on MaxJet for the June 21-25 period, you can get substantial discounts off the Caesars Palace room rates, even if you don’t go to the fight.
Kempinski Hotels in Turkey have put together a “best of both worlds” package encompassing both Istanbul and the Aegean coast. This sort of Luxury Escape, as they call it, has its price — $12,500 for two — but it includes private limousine pickup at Istanbul Ataturk Airport (IST); three nights in a one-bedroom suite at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul; a private helicopter transfer to the Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay Bodrum, and three nights in a one-bedroom suite there; and a helicopter transfer back to Istanbul for your departure.
Book by June 26 to take advantage of introductory fares being offered by Frontier Airlines to celebrate its new routes to San Jose (SJO), Costa Rica, that start Nov. 30. Introductory fares start as low as $298 round-trip from Denver (DEN) and are also available from 21 other U.S. cities that Frontier serves. Traveling from between Denver and San Jose between Nov. 30 and Dec. 28 also earns double miles. Tickets may be purchased at the introductory fares for travel as late as June 16, 2008.
