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Volume 5, Issue 31, July 31, 2007 |
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You may never look at your fellow passengers quite the same once you read the results of some recent surveys. Two studies of frequent travelers have turned up some interesting — and some bizarre — information about travel habits, desires and experiences.
Travel aggregation site Kayak.com polled 1,141 mostly American travelers, and Australian travel booking site Zuji.com.au surveyed more than 1,000 Down Under-based travelers.
Starting with the basics, 56 percent of the Kayak travelers say their main reason for choosing a hotel is location, with “a big, soft bed” coming in second place, garnering 34 percent of respondents. And more than two-thirds say they don’t use minibars at all, because of the prices. Of those who do, liquor is the most popular purchase (13 percent) followed by sweets (12 percent) and salty treats (8 percent).
Kayak also asked respondents to indicate the most unusual thing they’ve ever found when checking into a hotel room. The most common category of response was “other people” — from a security guard asleep on the bed, to guests already occupying the room. Other living things found include a raccoon and a variety of lizards and bugs. More than one Kayaker claimed to have found some form of forgotten prosthetics, from false teeth to artificial limbs. You can see the complete list here.
Both surveys also pried into what might be called extracurricular activities. Only 9 percent of Americans said they had ever booked a hotel room by the hour. When given a choice of celebrities for roommates, men chose Angelina Jolie over Gisele Bundchen, Beyonce or Gwen Stefani; women chose Brad Pitt over Tom Brady, Jay-Z or Gavin Rossdale.
Aussies were more forthcoming — or more flirtatious. More than half the travelers (who were single and married, in an undisclosed proportion) said they had had a “fling” during a trip. However, to give them credit, more than half also said they had developed long-distance relationships as a result of romance on the road. More women (48 percent) than men (39 percent) said they would follow up on a travel romance. 
Although deliveries of the giant Airbus 380 aircraft have been repeatedly delayed, one thing is sure: Singapore Airlines will be the first to fly it, presumably in October. Initial scheduled flights will be between Singapore (SIN) and Sydney (SYD). The airline has decided to turn the high international interest in this “first” to charitable use by auctioning the seats for the first flights on eBay. Thanks to not only the airline but also its fuel supplier ExxonMobil Aviation, which will provide the fuel for the first flights, and eBay, which is subsidizing the fees and charges for the auction, the proceeds will be split evenly among three charities: Doctors Without Borders, Community Chest of Singapore, and two children’s hospitals in Sydney,Sydney Children’s Hospital and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. The auction will not begin until the actual flight dates are set, but you can preregister for notification and to see additional information. The first aircraft wearing Singapore Airlines’ colors has left the factory and is now in Toulouse, France for final cabin and flight tests.
The month-old satellite terminal at Charles de Gaulle International (CDG) is not only big enough to accommodate the forthcoming A380s, but it also has some goodies for its guests: 14 PlayStation3 consoles in the Parisien Gallery (the satellite terminal’s departure lounge). The satellite, which is a 45-second automated metro ride from Terminal 2E, is reserved for Air France and its international SkyTeam Alliance partners. Sony will place an additional 80 PlayStation 2 consoles in other parts of both CDG and Orly (ORY); there is no limit on playing time.
The National Business Travel Association convention held last week in Boston broke new attendance records, and Global Traveler staffers were all over it. The 39th annual NBTA International Convention & Exposition took place July 22-25 at the 3-year-old BCEC, the Boston Convention & Exposition Center; GT’s Boston-based editor-in-chief Lisa Matte’s July 18 blog gives the local context. The convention broke all previous attendance records, with about 6,200 attendees. GT hosted a party at the Taj Boston, formerly the Ritz-Carlton, with its beautiful setting overlooking the Boston Public Garden. Our more than 150 guests represented the business travel elite; you can read all about it here.
Passengers waiting to board at nine Los Angeles International (LAX) terminals — 1 through 8, and Tom Bradley — will notice new 8-1/2-foot poles scattered throughout the boarding areas. They’re charging stations, sponsored by Samsung. Fifty-one of the poles have been installed, each with four outlets and small shelves to hold the items being recharged, from mobile phones to laptops — anything that runs on 120 volts. They’re free to use — but if you forget you left your phone on the charger, that could get expensive, replacement-wise.
Opening Aug. 15: The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, a 218-room hotel in a 21-story regency-style building on historic McKinney Avenue in Uptown Dallas that will also house elegant condominiums. Hotel guest rooms and suites are promised to be sumptuous, with flat-panel HDTV, high-speed and wireless Internet, in-room safes with built-in laptop rechargers, Frette bed and bath linens, and high-end furnishings. The club level will have private secured access, an exclusive lounge, and five complimentary food and beverage sessions each day. The hotel will also have a Fearing’s restaurant and a 12,000-square-foot spa with programs ranging from “executive de-stress” to “spa 101” to “joyous aging.” Room rates will start at $329 a night, $389 for club level.
Japonais
The Mirage
3400 South Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
tel 866 339 4566; fax 702 792 7981
www.mirage.com/dining/fine_dining_japonais.aspx
True, to get to Japonais, you have to walk through The Mirage resort and casino’s rainforest atrium, with its jungle foliage and meandering streams, passing hordes of tourists taking pictures of each other in front of a cascading waterfall. Once inside the Red Room (the Japonais restaurant’s main dining room), however, you leave the noise of the casino and the milling crowds far behind.
The dining room is bathed in a soothing glow emanating from the fire-red lampshades scattered throughout the restaurant. Along with the fin-shaped walnut rafters and walls made of blue glass designed to resemble water, the combined effect made me feel as if I had stepped into a trendy, upscale, postmodern Tokyo restaurant. It was hard for me to believe that Japonais was not a one-of-a-kind creation, but the newest part of a chain — a mini-chain, really, with two look-alike older siblings in New York and Chicago.
There was nothing ordinary or mass-produced coming out of the kitchen or from the marble and slate sushi bar. I am not a cocktail person, but I couldn’t resist starting out with the restaurant’s signature drink, the Floating Orchid — Stolichnaya vodka, Cointreau, pear juice and lemon juice, with an edible orchid floating on top. That led into a series of appetizers, including the crispy shrimp and salmon roll; The Rock (thinly sliced marinated New York strip steak, each slice individually cooked over a small, 500-degree rock that is brought to the table); and lobster spring rolls with mango relish and blood-orange vinaigrette. The main course was a delicious grilled tuna steak with wasabi glaze, served over roasted scallion potatoes and maitake mushrooms. Dessert was the unusual-looking but surprisingly tasty green tea panna cotta, served in a tapioca citrus soup, with honeydew sorbet and a very thin slice of dried pineapple.
The folks at Japonais call their pricy menu “progressive Japanese cuisine.” Unique to the Las Vegas edition are special robata grill selections not available at the two other properties (robata grills use special Japanese charcoal that burns very hot).
My only disappointment at Japonais was with the piped-in music, in this case a CD by the British singer Dido, which seemed a bit loud for the ambience. My server told me the music gets even louder and bouncier as the night goes on.
Score: ••••• Ron Bernthal
American Airlines has put all its Central and South American destinations on sale if you purchase tickets by Aug. 6, for travel between Aug. 30 and Dec. 13. Sample fares (all round-trip) include: San Francisco (SFO)-San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO), $378; Boston (BOS)-Sao Paulo (GRU) $624; Washington (DCA)-Lima (LIM) $428. Tickets require three-day advance purchase; lowest fares require midweek travel. Fares are nonrefundable; change fee is $100. Lowest fares are online; add $10 for phone purchase.
Virgin Atlantic is trying to get more British travelers to check in for their flights online, with an incentive that applies to any traveler returning from the U.K. too. Between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30, any Virgin passenger traveling from Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (GTW) or Manchester (MAN) who checks in online will receive vouchers along with their confirmations good for about 20 percent off onboard duty-free purchases. The vouchers are good for £6 (about $12) off every £30 (about $60) spent; additional vouchers and coupons for airport retailers may also be included. If you don’t see the promotion when you log on, make sure you’re on the U.K. and not the U.S. version of the site; you can make the change on the drop-down menu.
Marriott Vacation Clubs is running a Dream Destination sweepstakes through Sept. 30 with a first prize of the winner’s choice of 3 million Marriott Rewards Points or 3 million airline frequent flyer miles, open to online entrants. An additional equal prize will also be awarded, if it has not already been claimed through an “instant-win” version handed out at Marriott Vacation Club desks. Ten third prizes are being offered by “instant win” only; you can request the scratch-off cards by writing to an address posted in the “terms and conditions” section of the online site. Participating airlines include American, United, Delta, Northwest and Hawaiian.
National Rent A Car’s newest promotion is called One-Two-Free and it’s just what it sounds like. Register for the promotion, and after any two qualifying rentals between Aug. 12 and Dec. 15, you earn an email certificate that gives you a free rental day in the first half of 2008. There is no limit on how many free days you can earn, and up to three free-day coupons can be redeemed on any one rental. Qualifying rentals must be for a minimum of two days, of a midsize or larger car, within the U.S. and Canada. You must be an Emerald Club member to register for the promotion; joining is free.
Buy by Aug. 9 to take advantage of Delta’s latest sale for summer and fall travel. The airline is discounting one-way fares between U.S. city pairs; for example, Atlanta (ATL)-Orlando (MCO) $69, New York (JFK)-Tampa (TPA) $79. Discount fares require 21-day advance purchase and require an overnight stay; the prices are good for travel through Oct. 16. Purchase by phone costs $10 more than online.
