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Volume 5, Issue 40, October 2, 2007 |
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A new study issued by Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research rated 865 U.S.-resident travelers on their technology readiness, and then used that information to see how different levels of tech savvy relate to travel patterns. Pat yourself on the back: Business travelers are the most tech-savvy travelers.
The Technology Readiness Index is a 10-question research tool that gauges individuals’ optimism, innovativeness, discomfort with technology and insecurity regarding technology. All those surveyed for this study had traveled at least once in the past year, and their results indicated that travelers are in general more comfortable with technology than the overall population, with the large majority of respondents falling into the average to high technology readiness categories.
Those with the highest degree of technology readiness took more trips in the past year than the other respondents, had traveled more recently than other respondents, traveled during the week more than other respondents, and traveled for business more than other respondents. They were also more likely to be male and affluent.
Tech-savvy travelers also use upscale hotels much more frequently than other travelers. The purpose of the study was to help hotels understand the technology needs of their guests. You can download a copy of the complete study, Segmenting Hotel Customers Based on the Technology Readiness Index, for free. 
The Transportation Security Agency’s latest bright idea is a system, under consideration, that would allow travelers to pre-book a time for clearing security before a departing flight. The plan could, according to the TSA, reduce security waits to 5 or 10 minutes at most. However, the TSA predicts the program could entice travelers to arrive 30 minutes earlier than usual, and to pay for the privilege. A similar plan was put in place at Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA), as we reported in the Aug. 7 eFlyer, charging ₤2 (about $4) to use a security “fast lane,” but it was admittedly for the purposes of raising money and quickly switched from mandatory to optional. Consumer groups complained that it made lines slower for nonpayers.
According to a new study conducted for BCD Travel, a corporate travel management company, here’s what you can expect to pay for travel in 2008: airfares up 2 to 4 percent, average daily hotel room rates up 6 to 9 percent (possibly a little bit less of an increase in Europe), car rental rates up 5 to 7 percent, and major-market meeting costs up 8 to 10 percent (higher, perhaps, in the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East).
The May Fair hotel in London will celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October by offering a Suite Stay for the Cure promotion. If you book the hotel’s Schiaparelli Suite during October – for the normal rate of about $5,036 a night – the hotel will donate 20 percent to the U.K.’s leading breast cancer charity. The suite includes a master bedroom, bath, living area and dining room.
Now that paper tickets are going the way of the dodo, the next waste of paper has been identified: boarding passes. Air Canada has just introduced the option for passengers to receive electronic boarding passes via their cell phones. The boarding pass arrives in the form of a text message that includes a scannable bar code, so it doesn’t yet work with all cell phones. To use the system, a traveler logs on to Mobile.AirCanada.com and enters his or her Aeroplan number and booking reference (or credit card number). If the system determines that both the flight and the phone qualify for the electronic boarding pass program, the traveler is prompted to enter the cell phone number and the pass is transmitted. Security screeners and gate agents can verify the legitimacy of the pass electronically with their scanners. Currently the passes are available for flights inside Canada and for international departures from 60 Canadian airports.
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation is weighing new rules that will finally increase the compensation for passengers who are “bumped” — i.e., denied boarding despite holding a ticket for a particular flight. Compensation schedules have not been changed since 1978, so the current ceilings and maximums are quite low. At present, if bumping causes you to be delayed by less than two hours, you are entitled to 100 percent of your one-way fare — to a maximum of $200; that could change to $624. Those delayed by more than two hours now get $400, or 200 percent of the fare if it’s less; that would increase to $1,248. Those are the highest numbers being considered; other options include doubling the current maximums.
Peabody Hotel
3 Statehouse Plaza
Little Rock, AR 72201
tel 501 906 4000; fax 501 375 4721
www.peabodylittlerock.com
It can’t be easy trying to follow in the footsteps of the famous Peabody Memphis, a century-old property that exudes tradition and southern hospitality, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But the Peabody Little Rock, a 1980s 20-story glass tower connected to the concrete Statehouse Convention Center, somehow manages to pull it off.
Perhaps it is the hotel’s location, facing the Arkansas River in the city center only 15 traffic-free minutes from Little Rock Airport (LIT), or the pleasant front desk crew, or the famous ducks, that make it seem so welcoming. The Peabody Ducks is a tradition started at the Memphis hotel in the 1930s. Every day at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., cute little trained mallards are escorted by a Duck Master along a red carpet between an elevator and the lobby fountain pool, to the sound of John Philip Souza’s King Cotton March. I noticed that even the most jaded business travelers in the lobby seemed to melt at the sight of the ducks.
With 418 guest rooms, including 22 suites, a club level, free high-speed Internet access, a health club, an in-house conference center, the Capriccio Grill lobby restaurant and Mallards lounge, the Peabody is certainly the leading hotel in Little Rock, if not in all of Arkansas. The guestrooms are large and functional, and while not stylishly designed or equipped with the latest amenities — no mini-bars, flat-screen TVs, or bathroom telephones here — they are perfectly comfortable. Little white soaps shaped like ducks and the yellow rubber duck by the sink add a quirky charm, bringing out the business traveler’s inner child (well, mine anyway).
The location is convenient for those with some time to spare for exploring Little Rock Walk a few minutes east and you’re at the stunning Clinton Presidential Library; a few minutes’ walk to the west and you can eat a catfish dinner at Doe’s Eat Place, a popular gathering spot for state legislators. The River Market District, an entertainment area, is close by, as are several museums, theaters, and the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Visitors Center.
The concierge desk at the Peabody is quite accommodating. When I asked if the hotel had an extra dress jacket I could use for an unexpected gala dinner, one was delivered to my room within minutes. They can also patiently help with directions, Alltel Arena tickets, and arrangements for nearby fishing or golfing.
Score: ••••• Ron Bernthal
American Airlines’ new Fall Sale offers savings on select routes within the United States until Dec. 11. To qualify, tickets must be reserved at least 10 days before departure, and a three-night minimum stay is required at some destinations. Fares are not available for travel on Friday or Sunday and are lowest for travel Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday. Sample round-trip fares include: Atlanta (ATL)-Boston (BOS) $148; Charlotte (CLT)-Chicago $108, Philadelphia (PHL)-Tampa (TPA) $128, Los Angeles (LAX)-Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) $198.
Just opened in historic Xian: the Shangri-La Hotel Xian, the first hotel in the Gaoxin high-tech development zone and the second Shangri-La in the city. The 395 guestrooms and suites offer wall-to-ceiling views of the city; more than 60 of the rooms and suites are on Horizon Club executive floors. The hotel has three restaurants, a lounge, a health club with swimming pool, and a spa. Introductory rates, through Nov. 15, are $128 a night for a deluxe room. Usual rates will be $158 for a deluxe room, with standard rooms starting at $92.
If you only need a few more SkyMiles to qualify for an awards level, here’s a new way to make it happen. Delta’s eMiles program gives you 100 miles for just signing up, and more miles every time you read and respond to “marketing messages.” When you sign up you will be given the option to indicate how frequently you are willing to view those messages — anywhere from once a week to “as often as available” and also how many minutes a day you are willing to allot (from one to 10 or more).
Continental Airlines and Continental Vacations are holding a Million-Mile Giveaway sweepstakes. While those who book a Continental vacation package are automatically entered, anyone can get a chance by clicking the “enroll” button, filling out a form, and using the promotion code MILLION. One entry per person is allowed. One grand prize of a million OnePass miles will be awarded after the sweepstakes closes on Dec. 15. The winner also gets a three-night vacation, including airfare, to Las Vegas.
Swiss International Air Lines has just posted lower fares for travel between Oct. 29 and March 20 (excluding Dec. 13-25). Nonstop roundtrip fares include: New York (JFK)-Geneva (GVA) or Zurich (ZRH) $446; Chicago (ORD)-Zurich $565. Direct flights are also on sale; for example, Miami (MIA)-Nice (NCE) $596.
