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Volume 6, Issue 25, June 25, 2008 |
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Continental Airlines and United Airlines have agreed to a mutual cooperation pact that will include frequent-flyer-program reciprocity, use of each others’ airport clubs and lounges, and codesharing. Continental, currently a SkyTeam member, will also move to the Star Alliance, to which United already belongs.
Continental announced that the alliance shift would be a “transition” that would take up to a year. Meanwhile, the airline said, there will be no differences in the passenger’s experience of SkyTeam alliance benefits: “OnePass members can continue to earn and redeem miles on SkyTeam airlines and SkyTeam lounge reciprocity continues as usual for SkyTeam Elite Plus members traveling on international SkyTeam itineraries.”
Eventually, Continental customers – and OnePass members – will be able to take advantage of the larger Star Alliance route system, and in future OnePass members will be able to take advantage of reciprocity, including mileage accrual and building elite status, with other Star carriers.
The timing of Continental’s exit from SkyTeam is actually dependent on the resolution of the proposed Delta-Northwest merger, since that merger will allow Continental to use an exit clause to leave the alliance; Continental is also obligated to give SkyTeam nine months’ notice of the planned withdrawal. 
The latest annual JD Power & Associates survey of Airline Satisfaction has been released, and it shows that traveler dissatisfaction with airline customer service has hit its lowest level in three years. The top overall carrier for customer satisfaction was JetBlue; the winners in the “traditional airline” category were Alaska Airlines and Continental. United and Northwest tied for the bottom spot.
A new survey of more than 10,000 hotels released last week by the American Hotel & Lodging Association shows that 91 percent now offer wireless Internet access – and fewer of them are charging for it. Only 16 percent of the properties responding now charge for in-room wireless, down from 22 percent in 2004.
Effective in August, Air Tahiti Nui will be offering meals on demand in its Poerava first and business classes on many long-haul flights. Passengers can choose not only their own menu among various offerings, but can also dictate when the various courses should be served.
After seven years of restoration, the Four Seasons Firenze in Florence, Italy, is open. The hotel, formerly two palazzos dating back respectively to the 15th and 16th centuries, surrounds Florence’s largest private garden and is on the bank of the River Arno. Many original features have been maintained in the new 117-room hotel version of the property, which also has an outdoor pool, a huge sunny Atrium Bar and a two-story spa.
This week, American Airlines established minimum fees for mileage award redemption. Booking frequent-flyer reward tickets through www.AA.com now costs $5, while booking such tickets by phone or in person accrues a $20 charge. The airline also announced that as of Oct. 1, more miles will be needed to earn rewards at most fare levels, not including the lowest (25,000-mile) level.
Restaurante Terreiro do Paço
Praça do Comércio 1100-148
Lisbon, Portugal
tel 351 210 312 850
www.terreiropaco.com
It is best to visit Restaurante Terreiro do Paço at dinnertime, no earlier than 8 or 9 p.m., rather than at lunch. Not because the food at this Lisbon landmark will be better in the evening (it is outstanding at any time), but because of the restaurant’s location on the city’s most famous and historic square. The Praça do Comércio is a visually brilliant scene at night; with the huge statute of Dom José I, the majestic Arco da Victoria and the arcaded government ministries all wonderfully illuminated with spotlights, the square is one of Europe’s great cityscapes.
After all that grandeur I had expected my dinner at Terreiro do Paço to be somewhat anti-climatic, but the restaurant’s historic interior (brick arches, wood floors, second-floor windows overlooking the square), its nod to modernity (beautiful wall sconces and hanging light fixtures), and its elegant table settings signaled that a culinary treat was about to be presented. With Vitor Sobral, one of Portugal’s most noted chefs, directing the kitchen, the menu offers traditional Portuguese cuisine prepared with lots of attention to delicate ingredients and artful presentation.
For my starter I ordered the codfish carpaccio with tongue of codfish tempura, which was really tasty. I splurged on the entrée, “Atlantic snowy grouper in the oven with mussels and emulsion of fish stew and potato gratin,” reluctantly passing over the grilled Azorean tuna, the lamb loin, and the grilled pork cheeks. The grouper was delicious.
I asked my waitress to bring me something light for dessert, and within minutes she presented me with a small glass filled with a rice cream topped with a dusting of cinnamon — similar to a rice pudding, but lighter. Terreiro do Paço is known for its selection of fine Portuguese wines, regional cheeses and olive oils, as well as fresh fish. The seasonal dégustation menu is a good choice for diners wishing to experience the full range of Chef Sobral’s culinary talent. Menu prices, in euros, are in line with most other high-end Lisbon restaurants, and reservations are necessary.
Score: ••••• Ron Bernthal
Travelers who book tickets on Alitalia by July 10 for travel between either Boston (BOS) or Chicago (ORD) and six Italian cities including Rome (FCO) can take advantage of a special offer. For two travelers flying together on the same itinerary, the second passenger pays only $1 (plus taxes and fees).
Travelers who sign up for the new Virgin Atlantic American Express card administered by Bank of America have a chance to win a trip into space on Virgin Galactic. For every $10,000 spent on the card by Jan. 31, 2009, the cardholder receives one entry into the sweepstakes.
Kimpton’s Nine Zero Hotel, just steps from Boston Common, is offering a Get Smart package that includes penthouse accommodations and tickets to the new Get Smart movie. You get two nights’ in the Nine Zero’s 1200-square-foot Cloud Nine 19th-floor penthouse suite, two tickets to a local theater playing the film, and two unspecified “spy kits,” for $3,999. Use package code PSMT.
Travelers who visit Dubai via Emirates Airline by Aug. 22 can take advantage of a special Dubai Summer Surprises package. Stays of at least three nights start at $62 a night, include a Visa gift card, and allow the traveler an extra baggage allowance on homeward flights to encourage shopping.
Surprising though it sounds in this day of higher fuel costs and fares, American Airlines is actually running a domestic fare sale. The Summer Savings sale is good for travel between June 30 and Nov. 5, and has no posted expiration date for ticket purchase. Sample fares: Atlanta (ATL)-Chicago (ORD) $89 each way, New York (JFK) – Tampa (TPA) $99; prices do not, however, include taxes and fees.
