Business Traveler articles from February 2002

Business Traveler archives from February 2002

Editor's letter.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... BUSINESS TRAVELERS CAN LOOK FORWARD to a host of innovations this year as hotels and airlines strive to make travel more attractive for road warriors. Starting on page 28, Gretchen Kelly assesses some of the bright--and not-so-bright--ideas in...

Watch your language. (Letter Of The Month).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2002... We reserved a rental car in Rome, Italy through a U. S. booking agency. Our prepaid reservation clearly stated that we wanted a station wagon with a "roof rack." This was needed because another couple who was joining us had a large oversize...

No prize. (Readers' Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2002... Regarding your "Insider's Guide to Amsterdam" in the November/December issue, the commentary on the Hotel Pulitzer lacks one important detail: the restaurant is horrendous. There is simply nothing good that can be said about it. It is...

Identity crisis. (Readers' Letters).(airport security)
February 1, 2002... I am concerned lest the evolving airport security plans inadvertently harm the industry, which has been, and in all probability will continue to be, dependent on the business traveler for its profitability. Selfishly, this can also impact the...

Swiss miss. (Readers' Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2002... I travel extensively on business, and have now made seven round-trip journeys since September 11 from my home base in Chicago. I have just purchased a new laptop briefcase, and in transferring the materials from my old briefcase to my new one,...

Fail safe. (Readers' Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2002... On a recent trip to Chicago, my husband and I booked four nights at the Park Hyatt, a relatively new boutique hotel a few steps off Michigan Avenue. All was well until I tried to put some jewelry and our airline tickets in the room safe. ...

Miss congeniality. (Readers' Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2002... A volley of opinion on the effectiveness of certain flight attendants in an event has kept me amused. But now I, an American male flight attendant, must add my voice. The writer who doesn't buy "we are primarily here for your safety" from...

Veggie beef. (Readers' Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2002... I am a frequent air traveler and a strict lacto-vegetarian. I have scoured the Web sites of all the airlines to understand what is in their various vegetarian meal options, and I specify my meal preference for any given flight accordingly. What...

The jury is in. (Airports).(airport security)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... THE RAPID RESPONSE TEAM ON AIRLINE SECURITY convened after September 11 and has produced its report and its recommendations for keeping travel safe. "Extraordinary challenges require extraordinary measures," says the report filed this winter....

On the road. (Airports).(Newark Airport redevelopment)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... NEWARK AIRPORT'S $3.8 BILLION redevelopment program continues to roll out with the opening of a new roadway at the heavily used Terminal C. The new construction will shorten travel time to the airport--cutting through heavy traffic in the area....

They try harder. (Rental Cars).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... THE RIPPLE EFFECTS OF September 11 continue as another area of the travel industry passes the crunch along to consumers--car rental firms. In response to steep business drop-offs due to decreased travel, most major car rental firms have raised...

Shuttle diplomacy. (Hotels).(sshuttle service at Westin Diplomat Resort Country Club and Spa in Hollywood, Florida)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... GUESTS AT HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA'S new Westin Diplomat Resort Country Club and Spa can board free shuttle car services and cross the Intercoastal Waterway to avail themselves of 8,000 square feet of meeting space, a tennis center, an 18-hole golf...

By the clock. (Airlines).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION released a report this winter that says that the 11 largest U.S. airlines were 84.7 percent on time during November, only slightly below last October's rating of 84.8 percent, which was the best record in more...

Members only. (Airlines).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... WHILE OTHER AIRLINES ARE closing or limiting access to clubs, US Airways has just opened a new Members Club at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The new 3,300-square-foot facility is located across from Gate 21, adjacent to US Airways...

Argenbright encore. (Security).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... ARGENBRIGHT SECURITY, the firm that passed the September 11 hijackers through Logan and Newark airports and which recently checked through a passenger carrying stun guns and butcher knives, has done it again. An airport security worker was...

Eva at Angkor. (Airlines).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... EVA AIR STARTS THE NEW YEAR with a new service to Cambodia. The airline flies three times a week from Taipei's Chiang Kai-Shek Airport to Phnom Penh. Flight time is three and a half hours. Eva Air will also be developing tourist packages to...

Orbitz objection. (Airlines).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... THE NATIONAL BUSINESS TRAVEL association has asked the DOT to put pressure on the new airline-owned-and-operated Orbitz e-fare service, urging them to apply "the same full access to fare" rules to Orbitz that apply to other services. The...

The air up there. (Health).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... MANY TRAVELERS KNOW WHAT IT feels like to come off a flight with flu-like symptoms they didn't have before or have experienced the dragged-out feeling that reconstituted air produced. Now a study being drafted by the cabin air committee of the...

Caped capades. (Hotels).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... THE NATURAL BEAUTIES OF Cape Town, South Africa, are the backdrop for the new Western Cape Hotel and Spa, just opened outside of the city. Located on the Arabella Country Estate, on the banks of the Bot River lagoon, the hotel is bordered by...

Continental Airlines. (Reward Roundup).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Through March 31, OnePass members can earn double OnePass miles on all KLM flights, including connecting service from Amsterdam to destinations such as Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Geneva, Istanbul, Stockholm and Vienna, in honor of Continental and...

US Airways. (Reward Roundup).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Through April 28, passengers flying US Airways can earn up to 60,000 Dividend Miles when ticketed in first class, envoy class or full-fare coach class. And if you book on usair ways.com, you can earn additional miles, starting at 2,000 miles...

Northwest Airlines. (Reward Roundup).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... First-time customers on nwa.com will receive 2,500 WorldPerks Bonus Miles when purchasing a ticket online before April 30. Each subsequent online ticket purchase earns a bonus of 1,000 miles. For information, call 800-225-2525.

Cathay Pacific. (Reward Roundup).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... American AAdvantage members who book a round-trip trans-Pacific ticket at www.cathay-usa.com before March 31, 2002, will earn 10,000 AAdvantage bonus miles. This is in addition to whatever bonus miles customers normally earn by booking online....

American Airlines. (Reward Roundup).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Through March 31, AAdvantage members can earn 2,000 miles for every eligible stay at selected Park Hyatt Hotels in the U.S. and Canada. Promotion code PHTM03 must be used when making reservations, and members must have AAdvantage card at...

Stay at the brand-new Grand Hyatt Beijing during the month of February at special rates starting at $138. (Asia).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Stay at the brand-new Grand Hyatt Beijing during the month of February at special rates starting at $138. After February, rates will start at $300. The package includes buffet breakfast. Call 86 10 8518 1234 or log on to www.hyatt.com. GM

Dusit Hotels and Resorts is offering severe reductions on its Web fares. (Asia).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Dusit Hotels and Resorts is offering severe reductions on its Web fares. Stay at the MBK Centre in Bangkok for $70 a night until October 31; or at the Royal Princess for $55 a night until the end of the year. Rates and dates of validity vary;...

The Great Eagle Hotel in Hong Kong is ringing in the Chinese New Year with special rates starting on February 1. (Asia).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Great Eagle Hotel in Hong Kong is ringing in the Chinese New Year with special rates starting on February 12. For the next year, this includes three nights' accommodations on the club floor, dinner for two and extra amenities for $127. Call...

The Gorham Hotel, a small boutique property in New York City, is offering up to 30 percent off selected rooms until March 31. (United States).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Gorham Hotel, a small boutique property in New York City, is offering up to 30 percent off selected rooms until March 31. Deluxe rooms start at $159 and parlor suites start at $179. Call 800-735-0710 for reservations, or visit...

The newly renovated Flatotel in New York is offering a special package until February 28. (United States).(New York, New York)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The newly renovated Flatotel in New York is offering a special package until February 28. At $89 a night, it includes wine, breakfast and access to the fitness center and sauna. Rack rates start at $199. Call 212-887-9400 or visit...

Visitors to New York during February can take advantage of low rates at five recently renovated Apple Core hotel properties--including the Red Roof Inn and the Quality Hotel Midtown. (United States).(New York, New York)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Visitors to New York during February can take advantage of low rates at five recently renovated Apple Core hotel properties--including the Red Roof Inn and the Quality Hotel Midtown. Rates start at $99, and are valid until February 28. Call...

Plane truth. (Reader Offer).
February 1, 2002... IT'S A GIVEN THAT AIR TRAVEL has been radically transformed. But some questions and thoughts about air travel have not changed--for instance, improving upgrade chances, getting a whole row to yourself, concerns over flying and fertility and the...

Air France. (Airline Deals).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... AIR FRANCE has brought back the Concorde between JFK and Paris (Charles De Gaulle Airport) and is offering passengers who purchase a full-fare round-trip ticket the opportunity to bring a companion along for half price. The full normal fare of...

Air France and British Airways have both added Concorde options to their American Express Platinum Two-for-One Promotions. (Airline Deals).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... AIR FRANCE and BRITISH AIRWAYS have both added Concorde options to their American Express Platinum Two-for-One Promotions as follows: Air France will allow you to fly Concorde round-trip from JFK, or to go one direction in business class...

Air France. (Airline Deals).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... AIR FRANCE American Express "Executive Corporate Card" holders can purchase a one-way or round-trip full-unrestricted economy-class ticket and take a companion free. Travel must originate in the U.S. at one of 11 major gateways to Europe, the...

Lot Polish Airlines. (Airline Deals).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... LOT POLISH AIRLINES offers discounted business class from the U.S. to many European destinations that are 30 percent to 40 percent lower than their regular business-class fares. No advance purchase applies, but tickets must be issued within 72...

Egypt Air. (Airline Deals).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... EGYPT AIR Offers a free companion round-trip in first and business class with the purchase of a full-fare unrestricted ticket from JFK to Cairo and beyond to several Middle Eastern cities, including Jeddah, Amman, Bahrain, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi,...

Sites for sore eyes. (News Report).(web sites that provide information about getaways)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... TIME OFF Congratulate yourself for making it through another exhausting holiday season. Sure, you may be 10 pounds heavier and at the annual holiday office party you cursed at your boss, but don't let that stop you from taking that African...

LanPeru. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * LanPeru has introduced nonstop service between New York and Lima, Peru, as part of a codeshare agreement with LanChile Airlines. The flights, which feature two classes of service, depart New York's JFK Airport on Monday, Wednesday and Friday...

Cathay Pacific Airways. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * Cathay Pacific Airways has begun direct service between Hong Kong and Sapporo. The service operates every Thursday and Sunday.

Aeromexico. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * Aeromexico has opened an exclusive new entrance at JFK's Terminal 3 for its Clase Premier passengers, Gold Club Premier, Platinum Club Premier, SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus members. The entrance will reduce the required 180-minute check-in...

Hong Kong. (Top Of The Town).
February 1, 2002... RESTAURANTS Kokage Starcrest, 9 Star St., Wanchai, Hong Kong, tel. 2529 6138 Healthy, light fare mixing Western influences with Japanese ingredients such as yuzu peel (citrus) and benitade (a small, peppery sprout) is served up in a...

New York. (Top Of The Town).
February 1, 2002... RESTAURANTS Taja 1425 Second Ave., tel. 212-734-9940 Following the trend of international nightclub/restaurants whose signature is music, Taja seduces customers into its tented pleasures with its own CD mix of Moroccan, Tunisian and...

Boston. (Top Of The Town).
February 1, 2002... The Federalist XV Beacon Hotel, 15 Beacon St., tel. 617-670-2515 At the Federalist, neatly tucked away next to the lobby of high-design boutique hotel XV Beacon, classic presidential busts gel perfectly with modern art. And the...

Habita Hotel: Mexico City. (Hotel Check).
February 1, 2002... THIS 36-ROOM AND SUITE ABODE opened in late 2000 in the swanky Polanco District, and the city hasn't been the same since. Close to the office towers of Reforma and the cultural institutes of Chapultepec Park, the Habita occupies a former 1950s...

United Airlines. (Security check: Frankfurt main to New York JFK).(Brief Article)(Column)
February 1, 2002... Check-in: I was right on time for the extra three-hour window the airline suggested for check-in, but United Airlines wasn't. I queued up on a long line at 6 a.m., and stood for a half an hour while attendants had their coffee and set up new...

Ritz-Carlton Boston Common: Boston. (Hotel Check).
February 1, 2002... THIS HOTEL--A CLEAR FORECASTER of a freshened 21st-century, ready-for-business Ritz-Carlton image--is sleek, slick and sensible by design, eschewing frivolity for function. The new look is a refreshing update of the traditional Ritz charm to...

Spot check. (Consumer Check).(bathrobe absconding charges $0 to $108)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... We asked a number of hotels around the world how much they would charge if a guest checked out with one of the hotel's nice, plush bathrobes in tow. Here's what we found: W Sydney $62 GRAND HYATT Hong Kong...

Japan Airlines executive class--"seasons". (Flight check: New York JFK to Tokyo).(Brief Article)(Column)
February 1, 2002... First Impressions: I wasn't early for the flight, but there was no waiting at all in the executive-class line, and I noticed that even the economy-class queue was very short. When I plopped my bag on the scale, the JAL representative inquired,...

On the high-tech trail: Santa Fe's arts-and-tourism-based economy is on the rebound. And although conducting business here can be difficult, the city's high-tech sector is gaining speed. (Homefront: Santa Fe).(Industry Overview)
February 1, 2002... NEW MEXICO'S CAPITAL, SANTA FE, is not a typical metropolis thick with tall, gleaming skyscrapers, congested traffic, urban sprawl and overpopulation. Somehow, this Southwestern city has managed to escape many of the maladies that plague urban...

Meet me in Vegas: don't let the glitz fool you--Las Vegas can be immensely affordable for business travelers. (Homefront: Las Vegas).(Industry Overview)
February 1, 2002... ALTHOUGH LAS VEGAS IS SYNONYMOUS with loose slots, fast rides and impossibly gargantuan buffets, for business travelers, Vegas usually means one thing: conventions. And a lot of them. Las Vegas is said to have more convention and meeting space...

Strange days: unusual attractions in world cities.
February 1, 2002... Forget the Eiffel Tower and the Colosseum. Next time you're traveling abroad, check out Iceland's Penis Museum or the German Secret Police Quarters. The rare and unusual awaits the intrepid traveler who isn't afraid to wear a T-shirt that says...

Great expectations. (Innovations).(September 11 and the travel industry)(Industry Overview)
February 1, 2002... There is nothing more powerful than a great idea whose time has come. After the events of September 11, the travel industry was forced to come up with new ideas in order to re-invent itself. How do you get a frightened, nervous and...

The golden Nile: Rachael Jolley reports that the capital city of Egypt is building on an ancient tradition to shape a high-tech future. (Doing Business in Cairo).(Industry Overview)
February 1, 2002... CAIRO HAS A SERIOUS TRAFFIC PROBLEM. Even at midnight, Cairo streets can be packed to overflowing with cars. For new arrivals, negotiating your way to meetings through Cairo's streets can be an intimidating challenge. Working out how to cope...

A new spin: Ginny McGrath reports on the economic climate and business etiquette in Tashkent. (Focus: Tashkent).(Uzbekistan)(Industry Overview)
February 1, 2002... UZBEKISTAN IS ONE OF 15 INDEPENDENT STATES that emerged from the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. After independence, the country suffered serious economic difficulties resulting from the loss of subsidies from the Soviet Union and...

Latin American getaways: often familiar with Latin America's high-energy cities, business travelers generally know far less of its vast countryside. Blessed with sensational scenery, exotic wildlife, age-old ruins and an excess of inviting hideaways, the Latin American countryside should attract the most discerning travelers. From Patagonia to Peru, some enchanting getaways worth checking out. (Special Advertising Section).(Industry Overview)
February 1, 2002... Mexico EVERYONE KNOWS MEXICO HAS beautiful beaches to spare. Now resorts as gorgeous as the surroundings have opened, offering a higher level of luxury and luring Northerners even when they're not doing business. Among the most idyllic of...

Slaves to fashion: Ginny McGrath gets to the bottom of the rumor that says the Milanese are all work and no play. (Insider's guide: Milan).(Industry Overview)
February 1, 2002... THERE'S AN OLD JOKE IN ROME THAT GOES "Once upon a time we had slaves. Now we have the Milanese." The residents of Milan are described by other Italians as being the workhorses of the nation who spend long hours in the office, and don't know...

Four hours in Munich.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... German by nationality, but Italian in spirit, the center of Munich operates at a leisurely pace that betrays the work ethic of the city's businesses. Walking is the best way to see its attractions, and four hours is plenty of time to get to...

Small is beautiful. (Tools: PDAs).(personal digital assistants)(Buyers Guide)
February 1, 2002... WITH THE NEW YEAR comes a slew of new high-tech products, each promising to make your life easier and more streamlined than the last. It seems that nearly every technology manufacturer has entered the lucrative handheld market, forging...

Three-peat package from the Ritz-Carlton Chicago. (Offer Of The Month: Chicago hotels).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... For an unprecedented third consecutive year and fifth time in eight years, The Ritz-Carlton Chicago has been named "Best Hotel in North America in 2001" at the 14th Annual Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards. To celebrate this honor, we...

Free upgrades from Vancouver's "Grand Lady". (Savings For Members: Vancouver hotels).(Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, BC)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... In the heart of the city stands the 556-room Fairmont Hotel Vancouver--a "Grand Lady" hotel that reflects the city that surrounds it--rich in history, resplendent in natural beauty, yet vibrant and cosmopolitan. For more than 60 years, the...

Manhattan's new W invites you to rediscover the city of cities. (Savings For Members New York hotels).(W New York-Times Square)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... W's fifth Manhattan property, W New York-Times Square, had its first turndown on December 27, just in time for New Year's Eve. The hotel structure proudly stands 57 stories above Times Square. W Hotels are known for their sense of style and...

Before the deluge: cruising China's Yangtze River. (Great escape: the Three Gorges).(Regal China Cruises)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... THE YANGTZE RIVER IN SOUTH CENTRAL China cuts a narrow swath through a jaggedly majestic stretch of mountains, carving out breathtaking views that for centuries have inspired painters and songwriters alike. The most exquisite panoramas are...