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Volume 6, Issue 23, June 11, 2008 |
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The latest star in the aviation firmament, Airbus’ superjumbo A380, is finally coming to scheduled service in the United States. Emirates Airlines will make its first A380 flight, from Dubai (DXB) to New York (JFK), on Aug. 1.
Special flights will be run from Dubai on Aug. 1 and from JFK on Aug. 3 in addition to the regular twice-daily nonstop service Emirates offers on that route. As of Aug. 8, Emirates will operate the A380 three times a week on the DXB-JFK route, on Fridays, Wednesdays and Sundays, departing JFK at 9 p.m. and arriving in Dubai at 5:45 p.m. the next day. From Dubai, flights depart at 11 a.m. and arrive at JFK at 4:45 p.m. the same day.
Emirates is operating the A380 in an ultra-long-haul configuration of 489 seats: 14 first-class, 76 business-class, and 399 economy.
The airline, which is the largest customer for the A380, expects to receive 5 of the aircraft this year and has ordered a total of 58.
In addition to its JFK nonstops, Emirates also flies nonstop daily to Dubai from Houston (IAH) and has recently announced new nonstop service from Los Angeles (LAX) beginning Sept. 1 and from San Francisco (SFO) on Oct. 26. However, no A380s are scheduled to go into service on those routes this year; in addition to New York, the 2008 deliveries are slated to fly Emirates’ routes from Dubai to London Heathrow (LHR) and Sydney (SYD)-Auckland (AKL). 
As they try to cope with soaring fuel prices without passing them all on to passengers, airlines these days are coming up with a variety of ways to save. In many cases, unfortunately, that involves cutting routes that fly with less than optimal passenger loads. The latest route cut is by Thai Airways, which is suspending its nonstop Bangkok (BKK)- New York (JFK) flights. Other recent efforts: American Airlines is raising the price of its drinks and sandwiches from $5 to $6; US Airways has stopped serving free snacks on domestic flights; and Frontier has raised its charges for transporting odd-shaped items, from scuba gear to antlers.
Starwood Hotels has been talking up its new Aloft brand for a while, and now the first one is actually here, at Montreal Airport (YUL). The signature guestrooms of the brand feature loft-like nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows. More new Alofts are scheduled this year for Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Minneapolis, and Lexington, Mass; Starwood Preferred Guest members will earn quadruple points for Aloft stays through the end of the year.
An Irish company, Kingplace, backed by a Swiss company, Heritage Cie, has tentatively agreed to buy out Silverjet and hopes to begin flying again "within weeks." Lawrence Hunt, founder and CEO of Silverjet, was an adviser to Heritage on the bid. Silverjet ceased flying on May 30 and Hunt had frequently said he expected the shutdown to be temporary. Terms of the deal require a quick signing of the contract by week's end. Kingplace has said it intends to relaunch Silverjet's service from London Stansted to New York and Dubai. The chairman of Heritage, who sits on Kingplace's board, has said that tickets issued by Silverjet but unable to be used would be honored by the new airline.
The OneWorld airline alliance has become, it claims, the first alliance to offer online booking of multi-airline round-the-world fares at www.oneworld.com. The alliance is also going to start allowing other bookings direct from its site by the end of the summer.
While airlines may be cutting back on some routes, new routes continue to proliferate. Delta Air Lines this month has begun flying direct between New York (JFK) and Amman, Jordan (AMM), and between JFK and Cape Town (CPT).
As of June 14, Jet Airways begins daily service from Mumbai (BOM) to San Francisco (SFO) via Shanghai (PVG), using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with lie-flat beds in both first and business class.
Jerónimos 8
Rua dos Jerónimos, 8
8 1400 211 Lisbon, Portugal
tel 351 213 600 900
www.designhotels.com/jeronimos8
I arrived at the Jerónimos 8 hotel by foot, walking a few minutes from the Belém train station through a leafy park, then along a pleasant suburban street filled with cafes and shops to a rather nondescript three-story building without any exterior signs indicating it was a hotel. I was on Rua dos Jerónimos, however, and directly across the street was the magnificently ornate, 16th-century Jerónimos Monastery. Obviously, this new design hotel was cleverly hiding its creativity behind a plain façade.
The glass doors slid open automatically when I approached the entrance and any doubts about where I was evaporated immediately at the sight of the reception desk, a large, dark wood cube with two computer screens built into the surface. A friendly young man checked me in, and pointed out the hotel’s Bussaco Wine Bar just off the lobby, with its floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the monastery.
The hotel’s 65 rooms (including four suites) are all, I would find out later, individually decorated in shades of chestnut, burnt sienna, and cream, with lots of natural light flowing into the bedroom and the marble bath from oversized windows. Room numbers are embedded into the striped brown-and-red hall carpeting, which leaves the doors and corridor walls looking clean and spare, like the rest of the property. There is free WiFi throughout the hotel, and two small meeting rooms.
The hotel opened in August 2007, and is part of Design Hotels AG, a German firm that represents and markets more than 150 properties around the world. The common element of the group is savvy and innovative design themes, often by the best local architectural firms, incorporated into the structures. At Jerónimos 8, where an appetizing buffet breakfast is included in the rates, even the breakfast room on the second floor is a stunning environment, with dark walls, white tables and chairs, and eclectic ceiling lighting.
Ten minutes from downtown Lisbon, Jeronimos 8 is in the Belém district, along with museums, embassies, fine restaurants, upscale residential housing, and corporate offices. Located along the Tagus River, it was here that Vasco da Gama set sail in 1497 on his two-year exploration that would open a sea route to India (the Jerónimos Monastery, completed in 1541 to honor da Gama’s voyage, is a UNESCO World Heritage site). Just a block from the hotel is Pastéis de Belém, a pastry shop founded in 1837 that sells the traditional Belém pastéis (custard tart), served warm with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar. I took a bag of them back to my “designed” room, where I sat in front of the open jalousie doors, basking in the warm Portuguese sun and feeling like I had been dropped into a slice of heaven.
Score: ••••• Ron Bernthal
If you buy tickets by June 30, you can take advantage of special Cathay Pacific fares on three routes. Business-class fares to Hong Kong (HKG) from Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO) or New York (JFK) start at $5,291 round-trip, for travel July 1-Aug.15. Lowest price is for Monday through Wednesday travel; add about $500 to fly Thursday-Sunday. Bonus miles are also available with these fares.
If you’ve been to Tahiti before, you can go again, for less. To celebrate 10 years of flying, Air Tahiti Nui is holding a Return to Paradise anniversary sale. Show either a passport stamp from Tahiti or a photo of you in front of a recognizable French Polynesia landmark to qualify for this two-for-one deal: You pay $1,348 (from LAX) or $1,668 (from JFK) and your companion only pays for taxes and surcharges (about $317). You must book by June 30, depart between Aug. 18 and Sept. 24, and stay no longer than 10 days.
The film “The Water Horse” has been out for a while, but VisitScotland’s Find the Water Horse” sweepstakes is open until June 30, with a chance to win a trip for four to Scotland. The grand prize, valued at $15,000, includes round-trip airfare for four, five nights’ accommodations, most meals, a Loch Ness cruise and more. Up to 10 entries are allowed.
Book by June 15 for travel through Aug. 31 to take advantage of this deal from Sofitel Hotels: stay four nights and only pay for three. In addition, this Chic Picnic Summer Escape package includes late checkout and a picnic basket that includes hors d’oeuvres, salads and sandwiches, fruit and cookies, water, soft drinks and a bottle of wine or Champagne. The offer is good at most Sofitels around the world, from New York and Chicago to Rio, Munich, Bangkok, Cairo and more.
AAdvantage members who book economy fares on Qantas to Auckland (AKL) by June 30 can earn 10,000 bonus miles. Book flights by June 30 for travel anytime until March 22, 2009 to qualify. There is no limit to the number of times the bonus can be earned.
