Business Traveler articles from April 2001

Business Traveler archives from April 2001

Editor's letter.(Editorial)
April 1, 2001... EARTHQUAKES, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis: Natural disasters seem to be striking all corners of the globe with increasing frequency and force, with global warming a likely culprit for much of the destruction. Yet...

Suite mystery. (Letter Of The Month).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2001... I read with great interest Peter J. De Luca's trials and tribulations at the Hotel de Russie in Rome (February 2001). I had had a similar experience with customer service recently, but with surprisingly different results. I'm a domestic...

Cheap fills. (Letters Of The Month).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2001... I read your February 2001 edition of Business Traveler with great interest, and caught your "Spot Check" article on page 18. Budget $4.59 Alamo $4.05 Avis $4.30 Hertz $4.23 Please note that National Car Rental...

A day late. (Letters Of The Month).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2001... On December 13, 2000, I was scheduled to depart on Delta 138 BOS-JFK, the domestic segment of my journey to Dublin. I ordinarily check in at least one hour prior to departure, but was unable to do so due to problems with getting to the airport....

Houston spoiler. (Letters Of The Month).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2001... I have Platinum memberships with both Starwood and Delta A/L, and five-star membership with Hertz, among other elite memberships airlines like UAL (Exec. Premium) and hotels like Marriott (Gold Marquis), etc. In the past 10 years, I have flown...

Long story. (Letters Of The Month).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2001... I had to chuckle after reading your article in the March 2001 issue entitled "Airlines; Whose Is Longer?" My friend Dan, who works for Continental Airlines, and I had the same discussion last month as to which of our airlines' new routes to...

Class distinctions. (Letters Of The Month).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2001... When I go on business class, and I look around, everyone has either reading material or a notebook computer in front of them. Heads bowed in concentration, in our own little worlds, we cocoon ourselves and interact only with the flight...

Small is beautiful. (Letters Of The Month).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2001... It would be nice if you had a few articles for the small, self-employed businessman who may travel as much as the corporate road warriors do, but can't afford the glitzy restaurants and hotels featured in your magazine. Jack A. Rickel,...

Logan's run. (Airports).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... LOGAN AIRPORT IS MAD AS HELL and won't take it anymore. Number nine countrywide for flight delays, Logan has decided to put airlines' feet to the fire. Starting February 26, the airport will penalize the 38 carders that fly through its...

Dubya goes hunting/Reid's act. (Passenger's Rights).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... PRESIDENT GEORGE W. Bush is aiming at aviation, and if his administration has its way, the FAA will find itself flying with a lot less fuel. Bush has proposed a $568 million cut in its current funding. "After the worst air travel period in...

New Mexicans. (Hotels).(new Mexican Starwood Luxury Collection resorts)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... YOU MAY FEEL like Cortes unlocking the golden doors of El Dorado at five new Mexican Starwood Luxury Collection properties. Starwood has partnered with Grupo Plan in the Yucatan Peninsula and the Pacific Coast of Mexico to add three colonial...

Loaded for bear. (Hotels).(Big EZ Lodge offers photographic bear hunts)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Whether your company is bull-ish or bear-ish, consider the return on a corporate photographic bear hunt at The Big EZ Lodge in Big Sky, Montana. The 12-room guest house offers a rustically upscale 19th-century Arts and Crafts interior,...

Stay at Toronto's Sutton Place Hotel before April 30. (Canada).(advertisement)
April 1, 2001... Stay at Toronto's Sutton Place Hotel before April 30, and get reduced rates, complimentary parking and breakfast A Superior Room is $135 a night, a Deluxe Room is $165 and a Sutton Suite is $289. Rack rates for these rooms range between $245...

A night in a Tower Suite in New York's Barbizon Hotel is $450 a night until April 30 (rooms are normally $900). (United States).(advertisement)
April 1, 2001... A night in a Tower Suite in New York's Barbizon Hotel is $450 a night until April 30 (rooms are normally $900). United Mileage Plus members will receive 5,000 bonus miles per night as well. Call 800-223-5652 for more information.

The Warwick Hotel in Denver is offering rates of $129 per weekday throughout April. (United States).(advertisement)
April 1, 2001... The Warwick Hotel in Denver is offering rates of $129 per weekday throughout April. This deal celebrates the property's $20 million renovation (slated for completion in June). Rates start at $195 after April 30. Call 800-525-2888 or visit...

Manhattan's Library Hotel is celebrating National Poetry Month with weekend rates of $295 until April 30. (United States).(advertisement)
April 1, 2001... Manhattan's Library Hotel is celebrating National Poetry Month with weekend rates of $295 until April 30. Guests also receive poetry-related souvenirs such as books and CDs. Call 877-793-READ for more information.

Stay at the Regent Hong Kong anytime this year and receive $130 in hotel credit per day. (Asia).(advertisement)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Stay at the Regent Hong Kong anytime this year and receive $130 in hotel credit per day, which can be used on a number of hotel services, including food, spa treatments and airport transportation. Room rates start at $500 per night (including...

The Melia Mexico Reforma Hotel and Convention Center is offering a reduced rate of $145 a night for a double-occupancy room Monday through Thursday. (Mexico).(advertisement)
April 1, 2001... The Melia Mexico Reforma Hotel and Convention Center is offering a reduced rate of $145 a night for a double-occupancy room Monday through Thursday. Savings Friday through Sunday are $100 a night. Reservations can be made at 800-33MELIA.

Hit by a "bus". (Airlines).(new Airbus A380 production faces protests by environmentalists)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... THE Airbus A380 (formerly known as the A3XX) will be "the eighth wonder of the world," concludes a recent British advertisement for the craft, destined to be the largest commercial aircraft in the skies, seating up to 555 passengers, when it...

Radisson Edwardian redux. (Hotels).(Radisson Edwardian hotels renovated)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Next time you check in at the venerable Vanderbilt Hotel in London, you might notice something different. Where's the chintz? It's gone the way of foxhunting and other overstuffed British traditions. Radisson Edwardian's 10 London hotels are...

Southern hospitality. (Airlines).(China Southern Airlines)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES WOOS CEOs with "Warm Heart 9000," the airline's first-class ground-handling service at Guangzhou (Canton). The service includes a dedicated check-in hotline manned by live personnel, complimentary airport limousine...

Long in the tooth. (Hotels).(Bluetooth chips in rooms - Holiday Inn Wall Street)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY will soon replace all the credit cards in that inch-and-a-half wallet you carry around," predicts Frank Nicholas, general manager of the Holiday Inn Wall Street, which bills itself as "New York's most technologically...

On a wing and a prayer. (Aircraft Design).(flying wing aircraft)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... BOEING IS HOPING that you'll be waiting in the wings, literally. The company's proposed "flying wing" aircraft seats passengers in double-layered tubes running over the wings. The tail design would be radically different, and there would be no...

Extra Virgin. (Airline Lounges).(Virgin Airlines - San Francisco International Airport Upper-Class Lounge)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... YOU MAY HAVE to leave your heart in San Francisco after mooning over the panoramic view of the bay at Virgin's new San Francisco International Airport Upper-Class Lounge. One hundred fifty feet of glass wall fronts the famous site. Sliding...

Friendly relations. (Hotels).(Shangri-La Hotels - managers greet)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... NEXT TIME YOU CHECK IN to a Shangri-La Hotel, stop in and say hello to the general manager, who'll be waiting to greet you at the hotel's new "meeting point." All 37 Shangri-La Hotels will put their general manager on duty at this designated...

American Airlines is the first airline to introduce connecting gate information displays on its "air show" monitor. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... * American Airlines is the first airline to introduce connecting gate information displays on its "air show" monitor. Now, along with maps and miles logged, passengers can track the path to their next connecting gate and hit the ground running....

On May 7, JetBlue Airways begins three daily round-trip flights between Syracuse and JFK. Fares start at $39 each way. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2001... * On May 7, JetBlue Airways begins three daily round-trip flights between Syracuse and JFK. Fares start at $39 each way. Also in May, the airline will inaugurate daily nonstop flights to Seattle and Denver.

South African Airways has announced new nonstop service from JFK to Lagos, Nigeria. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2001... * South African Airways has announced new nonstop service from JFK to Lagos, Nigeria. The only nonstop service between the U.S. and Nigeria will be offered three times a week on a Boeing 747. All three classes of service are available.

In an effort to make their consumption of TWA palatable to consumers, American Airlines has unveiled plans to give their respective club members access to each other's facilities. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... * In an effort to make their consumption of TWA palatable to consumers, American Airlines has unveiled plans to give their respective club members access to each other's facilities. TWA's Ambassadors Club and American's Admirals Club members...

Feeling the crunch from Virgin's entry into its domestic Australian market, Qantas has planned to cut flights to Vancouver and Shanghai from its international service. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... * Feeling the crunch from Virgin's entry into its domestic Australian market, Qantas has planned to cut flights to Vancouver and Shanghai from its international service. This spring, the Australian-based airline announced that it would be...

Balancing act. (Reader Offer).
April 1, 2001... BACK HURT FROM SLOUCHING at your desk? Eyes straining from stating at the computer screen all day? If the answer is yes, Office Yoga, by Darrin Zeer, should help. The book demonstrates 75 simple stretches that invigorate the mind and body,...

American Airlines. (Reward Roundup).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... AAdvantage Members can claim pooled air miles flying U.S. Airways through August 23. From February 1 AAdvantage Members flying TWA can earn miles. As of March 15, AAdvantage Members can cash in award redemptions from TWA flights. ...

Northwest Airlines. (Reward Roundup).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Northwest will notify WorldPerks members as soon as an upgrade clears and just increased the lead time on upgrades for Platinum and Gold cardholders. On restricted domestic tickets, WorldPerks Platinum members are upgraded five days prior to...

Air Canada. (Reward Roundup).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Aeroplan Members chalk up 1,500 Aeroplan miles for stays at participating St. Regis or The Luxury Collection hotels; 1,000 Aeroplan miles for stays at Sheraton, W Hotels or Westin hotels. Aeroplan members also earn 1,500 bonus miles for the...

High wireless act. (Technology).(Dubai Marina, Emirates Hills and Emirates Lakes)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... IF YOU'RE DOING business in Dubai next year, bring your cell phone and your Palm pilot and you'll have a virtual key to the city. In 2002, Dubai goes wireless. Marconi and the UAE-based developer EMAAR are working on the $550 million project...

Lufthansa. (Airline Deals).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... LUFTHANSA is offering a 20-percent discount or an eastbound upgrade from full coach to business class on specific transatlantic flights, using a certificate that you download from www.lufthansa-usa.com. Call Lufthansa at 800-399-LUFT (5838).

America West. (Airline Deals).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... AMERICA WEST offers Flight-fund members the following: 1) $25 off a round-trip ticket with a base fare of $200-$399 or $50 off a round-trip of $400 or more. 2) Flightfund and Hilton HHonors members can purchase a round-trip fare of...

Northwest/KLM. (Airline Deals).(Around the World Apex Fare)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... NORTHWEST/KLM offers an "Around the World Apex Fare" at levels lower than the major alliance carriers, with more liberal rules. This fare allows travel jointly with Cathay Pacific, Alitalia, Emirates and a host of smaller carriers and codeshare...

Continental Airlines. (Airline Deals).(Newark to Hong Kong bonus miles)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... CONTINENTAL AIRLINES launched nonstop service from Newark to Hong Kong on March 1. Onepass members will earn 4,000 bonus miles for any round-trip flown by May 1. Call Continental at 800-231-0856.

Correction.(Regent Hotel, Hong Kong)(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2001... Correction: In the March issue of Business Traveler, on page 56, the Regent Hotel, Hong Kong was incorrectly identified in a photo caption as the Island Shangri-La. Business Traveler regrets the error.

W to go. (Hotels).(W Hotels offers merchandise; advertisement)
April 1, 2001... LOVED THE LAMP SHADE at the W Sydney? Covet the chessboard at the W Union Square? They're all yours--for a price--in the new W Catalog. Other popular items up for grabs include a sleepy-time teddy bear filled with buckwheat and lavender,...

Sites for sore eyes. (Websites).(online shopping sites for gourmet foods and wine)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Forget to bring home that special bottle of Bordeaux from Paris? Spices from Bombay? Homemade pasta from Italy? Shopping while on business can be a difficult task, especially when pressed for time. Here are some sites where you can buy those...

New York. (Top Of The Town).(theater and restaurants)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... THEATER Judgment at Nuremberg Longacre Theatre 220 W. 48th St. 212-239-6200 An adaptation of the TV and film classic. Four judges are tried for allowing the Nazis to use their offices, but both German and allied governments...

Meet me in St. Louis. (Hotels).(Westin Cupples Station)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... IF YOU THINK OF ST. LOUIS only as an airport hub, think again. The new Westin Cupples Station may well convince you to unpack your bags and stay awhile. The luxury hotel has just opened in the renovated Cupples Station: a historic iron-frame...

KLM business class. (Flight Check: New York (JFK) to Hamburg, Germany (VIA Amsterdam)).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... First impression: Although I was holding an economy-class ticket, I went to the business-class check-in--which had nobody on line--in hopes of getting an upgrade. I was politely told the flight was over-booked and an upgrade was not possible,...

Amtrak Acela business class. (Train Check: New York to Boston).(train services evaluated)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... First impression: I arrived at New York Penn Station less than 15 minutes before my scheduled 8:03 a.m. departure, avoiding Amtrak's cramped waiting area. Penn Station on a Friday morning was bustling, and navigation with my two heavy bags was...

Spot check. (Consumer Checks).(airline policies for changing flights with a full-fare business-class ticket)
April 1, 2001... What happens if you've purchased a full-fare business-class ticket and want to change your scheduled flight? Will you be charged a fee? And perhaps more importantly, will you be guaranteed a seat on the new flight you request? Here's what four...

New York: 30-30. (Hotel Check).(30-30 hotel)
April 1, 2001... LOCATED NEAR SILICON ALLEY and the fashion district, 30-30 can best be described as blue-light special meets the W. It's minimal, cheap and modem, and here that means amenities are extremely limited. Built circa 1902, the building was...

Four hours in Toronto.(what to do during a layover)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The ever evolving Canadian metropolis, which lies on the northern shores of Lake Ontario, offers a vibrant mix of tastes, styles and ethnicities that blend together to form a prosperous city that will delight even the most sophisticated...

Northern exposure. (Home Front: Seattle).(Seattle business and entertainment)
April 1, 2001... IN LATE FEBRUARY THE EARTHQUAKE THAT rocked the Seattle area registered 6.8 on the Richter scale--the strongest to hit the Puget Sound region in more than 50 years. Mother Nature displayed her brute power, shaking businesses and homes for...

Best supporting airports: Gretchen Kelly picks the country's top secondary airports.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... SMALLER, "SECONDARY" AIRPORTS are stealing the show from the big hub airports: they are increasingly chosen by consumers and low-price domestic airlines alike for performance levels that have the competition worried. The trend toward smaller...

Beyond the Inca trail. (Great escape: Machu Picchu).(Peru)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... HIGH UP IN THE LUSH GREEN ANDES mountains, surrounded by dense mist, sits the world's most mysterious and exquisite architectural ruin, Machu Picchu. In July 1911, American explorer Hiram Bingham asked a local innkeeper to take him to the top...

Wild world: Mubarak S. Dahir gets expert advice for business travelers on surviving natural disasters, from earthquakes to tsunamis.
April 1, 2001... KILLING A FREE EVENING while on a business trip to Tokyo, Howard Wallace purchased a ticket to what he calls "the equivalent of a Vegas show in Japan." Seated in a crowd of several hundred patrons, mostly Japanese, Wallace was delighting...

Pilots speak: delays, bad weather, long flights, time differences, sleepless nights--why do they do it? And how? BT sat down with experienced pilots from across the globe to discuss their profession, views of flying and what the future of air travel brings. (Special Supplement).(Panel Discussion)
April 1, 2001... Q: What is your favorite airport? Why? A: Pekka Perakyla: London Heathrow is my favorite. Even though the airport is enormous, traffic runs smoothly, ground handling is effective and delays are kept to a minimum. (Finnair Pilot, flies the...

Acapulco gold: with Mexican money fueling the present boom in Acapulco, the shadow of the United States is receding along with misconceptions about Mexico and the Mexican people. (Focus: Acapulco).
April 1, 2001... IF BUSINESS AND PLEASURE are uneasy bedfellows, the news has yet to reach Acapulco. Perhaps it was Johnny Wiessmuller who first set the tone, swinging seamlessly from the tree branches at Acapulco's Pie de la Cuesta lagoon to jet-set parties at...

Building on strong foundations: a nonprofit organization is aiming to raise the profile of its campaigning on the international stage.(King Hussein Foundation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... At last year's UK Business Traveller Reader Poll Awards, we were delighted that our guest of honor was Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan--a renowned and respected social campaigner. At the time, she took the opportunity to highlight the work of...

Size matters: Auckland has the disadvantage of being a big city in a small country. But, then again, that has its advantages. (Destination report: Auckland).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... AS A BIG CITY in a small country, Auckland can't seem to win. New Zealanders often dismiss it as a sprawling mass of high-rises, with too many people and heavy traffic. In a country where you can drive for two hours and not see another car,...

Wire and ice: the capital of Sweden is not universally known for its warmth of character, let alone climate. But as Beverley Fearis discovers, beneath Stockholm's sometimes frosty surface, there lies a high-tech and vibrant metropolis. (Insider's guide: Stockholm).
April 1, 2001... BACK IN THE DAYS when British businessman Julian Stubbs worked in the motor industry, he made a site visit to the Rover factory at Longbridge and asked one of the factory-line workers what he was doing. "I'm drilling a hole" came the reply. ...

Booming businesses on the West Coast. (Special Advertising Section).(United States Pacific Coast)
April 1, 2001... From khakis to kitchen gadgets and sportswear to software, businesses on the West Coast of the United States are thriving. Perhaps influenced by the pioneering spirit of their forebears from centuries gone by who trekked 3,000 miles across the...

Offer of the month: on your way to Europe? Enjoy a complimentary stay in Iceland when you upgrade to Icelandair's Business Class or save up to 10% on the Take-A-Break program in Iceland when you travel in coach. (Hotels).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... NEXT TIME YOU'RE TRAVELING to Europe, why not take advantage of Icelandair's unique opportunity to Take-A-Break in Iceland? Enjoy Iceland, where magnificent waterfalls, volcanoes, glaciers and geothermal pools vie with the lively sophistication...

The Hotel Inter-Continental Toronto. (Hotels).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... THE HOTEL INTER-CONTINENTAL TORONTO is centrally located in midtown Toronto, a city known for its cultural diversity. It is within walking distance to museums and art galleries, as well as the trendy Yorkville shopping district. Also, exclusive...

Regal Airport Hotel. (Hotels).(Hong Kong)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... THE REGAL AIRPORT HOTEL In Hong Kong is pleased to offer a spa package until August 31. Stay in a single room for $160 or a double for $173, and enjoy free use of the fitness facilities, swimming pool and a half-hour anti-tension back massage....

The Mansfield and The Shoreham. (New Hotel Offers).(Boutique Hotel Group - rate deals)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... BOTH OF THESE PROPERTIES are offering an exclusive rate of $189 for single or double occupancy and $279 for a one-bedroom suite, available from April 1 until May 15. The Mansfield and The Shoreham are part of the Boutique Hotel Group, a...

Seattle savings: compliments of Starwood Hotels and Resorts. (New Hotel Offers).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... STARWOOD HAS SOMETHING in Seattle for every travel whim, whether you want to savor the upscale boutiques and restaurants surrounding the W Hotel, enjoy the Puget Sound views from the Westin Seattle or be pampered by a private butler in your...