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Virgin America, Singapore Airlines Take Tops In Condé Nast Traveler Awards
Last night in New York (the unfriendliest city in the nation, according to results), Condé Nast Traveler held the awards reception for their 2009 Readers Choice Awards, hosted by Stanley Tucci and Mary Louise Parker and seeing big wigs like Richard Branson and David Cush (of Virgin America) in attendance.
This year, 25,000 of CN Traveler's readers voted for their favorites in such categories as best cruise line, best Asian city, and even top car rental agencies. While with some winners, we wonder how they even got on the ballot (Capri is one of the best European islands? Maybe 20 years ago), we absolutely saw no competition for some of the winners (Singapore Airlines took tops in international airlines again}.
While reading the winners after the jump, keep in mind that Traveler's demographic skews a bit older and affluent, so seeing the Hotel du Palais in Biarritz take Top European Resort even though it feels like no one's been there in eighty years is not so surprising, as is the fact that the Four Seasons positively cleaned up in some hotel categories.
Tags: Airline Fees / Airline News / Travel News / LCCs / → All Tags
Baggage Fees Don't Pay For Airlines Who Bleed Money Anyway
First it was checked baggage fees, and then it was peak holiday travel fees, and now it's airlines making no money from such fees. Even though carriers took in a total of over 1 billion dollars in 2008 for baggage fees, it's not helping things out much as the airlines who lost the most money last quarter were those with most fees.
Topping the list of the losers is United with a 21% drop. They changed their checked bag fee policies a few times last year, finally ending with $15 for your first checked bag and $25 for your second. Other losers include Continental and Delta and American, who each dropped between 18.8 and 15% of revenue and have the same baggage fee structure as United. Reasons for the drop in revenue run the gamut of the usual airline excuses, but our guess is that higher fees are driving travelers to book away from these airlines and onto ones with fewer or lower fees. For instance, flying Jetblue versus United to United's home base of Chicago saves you a first checked bag fee, not to mention some dough with the original ticket price.
And here there airlines all thought baggage fees were so great that they'd be able to get away with raising them every few months.
Related Stories:
· Airlines that charge fees lost more money than airlines that didn't [BoingBoing]
· Airlines Rake In Over A Billion Dollars In Baggage Fees [Jaunted]
· Airline Fees coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: TSA Watch / TSA / Airport Security / Technology / Travel News / Secure Flight / → All Tags
The Need-To-Know Basics About TSA's 'Secure Flight' Program
These days, when the TSA announces a new security measure, we are ready to be confused and inconvenienced by it. Their "Secure Flight" program began in much this way as well, with the TSA frustrating travelers with demands for complete names on tickets and a disclosure of birthdate and gender.
But as Secure Flight progresses, we've barely noticed the changes as we fly about the country, and nothing has tripped us up quit yet. Nonetheless, it's important to know what airport security is doing when they scrutinize your ticket and how to handle any possible issues as Secure Flight zeros in on whether or not you are possibly terrorist.
After the jump, the basics of what you need to know about Secure Flight.
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American Airlines' New 'Black Atlas' Network Targets Minority Travelers
Does the world really need another traveler social network? A whimpered "yes?" comes from the direction of American Airlines, who this week will be launching BlackAtlas.com, a part-facebook, part-travel guide serving as "your passport to the black experience." Indeed they are targeting African-American air travelers, who want to read articles titled "5 1/2 Things About Brooklyn" and watch videos about places like "Sonia's Hair Salon" in Madrid.
The Site doesn't officially launch until Thursday the 15th, but from sneak peek screenshots and more, we're thinking it looks like an expensive new toy for an airline which maybe shouldn't be spending that money right now.
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EU To End Ban On Carry-On Liquids, But England Still Fussing About
Hallelujah, break out the chianti! On Friday, EU transportation officials met to announce the impending end of the ban on carry-on liquids and gels. Just like our often confusing TSA 3-1-1 plan for carry-on liquids in the States, Europe has only allowed air travelers to carry 100ml or smaller bottles in a clear zip-top bag not exceeding 20cm x 20cm in size. It's been almost three years since they implemented these rules, and it's about time they re-evaluated the law.
Wait a second, hold off on that chianti; there has been no date announced for the end of the liquid restrictions, but the EU officials did vaguely hint at April 2012, or whenever new security procedures are in place. Nonetheless, we imagine there will be a collective sigh of relief when European travelers try to sneak through that just-over-100ml bottle of Cotes du Rhone and aren't stopped.
But what about Britain?...
Tags: Airline Delays / Travel News / Airline News / Airline Fees / Airports / → All Tags
Think Tank Finds Solution To Flight Delays: New Fees On Passengers
Researchers over at the top-ranked Brookings Institution have taken a look at the airline industry and at airport congestion, and they'd like you to know that they're very concerned. They note that airline delays have increased dramatically over the last decade, until now more than one in ten planes is over two hours late. Very true and very concerning, and thank you for bringing that to our attention, though it's hardly news.
Their solution, which is to raise fees in order to discourage travelers from flying during peak congestion times, seems to us much less smart:
The researchers said much of the problem is due to heavy concentrations of short trips between big cities, but they also cited an "ill-equipped" air traffic control system and other factors. They suggested increasing high-speed rail service to offer travelers alternatives to short flights. They also recommended letting busy airports charge fees on rush-hour flights to make airlines spread trips more evenly through the day.
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Where Will The Next Generation Of National Lampoon's 'Vacation' Go?
When we talk about the best road trip movie ever, nothing even comes close to the 1983 classic "National Lampoon's Vacation." You remember it: Clark Griswald drives his family from Chicago to California to have a family fun time at Walley World, but a million little hilarious obstacles occur along the route. The movie spawned sequels, like European Vacation, Vegas Vacation, Christmas Vacation, and even another sequel to Christmas Vacation. But apparently the world hasn't had enough of the Griswalds, and 26 years after the original, yet another sequel is in the works.
This time however, Clark (played by Chevy Chase) is staying home while his grown-up son Rusty, with kids of his own, strikes out on the American family road trip. David Dobkin, the director of "Wedding Crashers" is expected to at least produce, if not direct, the new movie. Right now, the ultimate destination of the road trip hasn't been named, but we have a few ideas of where the Griswalds might be heading this year century...
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And The Next New Travel Show Will Be Hosted By...Jessica Simpson
Tonight is the premiere of a new travel tv show, Man Shops Globe, where a buyer for Anthropologie travels the world in pursuit of quirky furniture and products for the chain store. Is it just us, or are floofy travel shows taking over tv? Even if you don't think so now, you will after the news that Jessica Simpson is getting her own travel show, The Price of Beauty.
With Jessica as a host, the series will focus on beauty regimens around the world, and how the concept of beauty varies from culture to culture. Although the series won't air until 2010, hype begins now as Jessica is in the process of shooting the episodes around the world. She's already been to a fattening hut in Uganda and a geisha house in Japan, and she's en route to her next stop of Morocco currently. When "The Price of Beauty" eventually does air, you can find it on VH1, natch.
Jessica's life is so hard...
Tags: Recession Travel / Tourism / Travel News / Timeshares / → All Tags
Timeshare Pitches About To Get Hardcore As Industry Hurts
We’ve always been tempted to sit through a timeshare presentation to score some freebies, but we usually realize that having a good time and a relaxing evening is better than a stressful 90-minute hard sell. However, if you want some free stuff, or are really interested in vacation ownership, now is a good time. Timeshare sales are down big time, and some experts are thinking that things will drop 30 percent from 2008 numbers.
Marriott’s timeshare group, for instance, is cutting prices and slowing down their plans to expand. They are even thinking about selling some of their prime land—might be worth taking a look if you’re looking to build your own vacation home. Wyndham is doing the same thing, despite being the largest seller of timeshares in the country; they are cutting 40 percent of their sales. The salespeople trying to get rid of these properties might be getting desperate, so beware their hardcore pitches.
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Mexico Opening Underwater Museum To Protect Coral Reefs
The Mexican government has a creative new idea for getting tourists to stop overwhelming and destroying the coral reefs around Cancun: distract them with something shiny. So they're building the world's largest underwater museum and filling it with art work, hoping that the new attraction will take some pressure off the regional ecosystem.
There's little environmental risk to the area as the concrete will be PH-neutral. Exactly the opposite in fact: the new rocks will allow algae and small invertebrates to flourish, adding rather than subtracting from the local ecosystem. The construction of the museum itself will probably take a bite out of the local environment, but we assume it'll be done in a minimalist way. Can you imagine the headache if it came out that their Green Tourism museum was, well, not?
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New Crackdown On Sex Tourism Targets Criminals In The Air
Sex offenders beware: You can run, but you can't hide. A new international crackdown is zeroing in on American "sex tourists" who could find law enforcement picking them up from the airport when they get home.
Operation "Twisted Traveler" was set up under the PROTECT Act of 2003, strengthening penalties for child-related crimes such as abduction and producing pornography. The act establishes an international age of consent at 16 as well as making it a crime to pay someone under 18 for sex; Americans who break the law can be tried and convicted back at home.
The first three suspects arrested under the international provision of the law were nabbed in Cambodia in February. All had served time for sex-related offenses in the U.S. before. The men have been charged with various crimes from enticing young boys with money and candy to visiting one of Phnom Penh's child brothels.
Tags: Credit Cards / Europe / Technology / France / Travel News / Paris / → All Tags
Did You Want To Use Your Credit Card In Europe? Sorry.
As if the cratering dollar wasn't enough of a problem for US tourists, the New York Times reports that even trying to use American credit cards in Europe is getting difficult. The problem is in the so-called chip-and-PIN verification technology that much of the world is adopting as an alternative to magnetic strip cards. Instead of swiping your card you're supposed punch in a personal ID that needs to match the one encoded on the chip. Only problem: US credit cards mostly don't have those chips.
The writeup manages to convey the issue with all the cosmopolitan awareness we've come to expect from the NYT Travel section. They relate the story of a passive-aggressive couple in Paris who—having had their cards rejected by bike kiosks—just walked around sullenly telling no one in particular how would awesome if they could ride a bike. Obnoxious. But that doesn't make the problem any less real:
