Business Traveler articles from October 2001

Business Traveler archives from October 2001

Editor's letter.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
October 1, 2001... In light of the superficial sameness that globalization has brought to many cities, it can be all too easy for business travelers to think of the world as one big, safe mall. In this issue, Mubarak Dahir gets the scoop on the illnesses that...

Trained. (Letter Of The Month).(rail service within Italy)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2001... As a longtime subscriber to Business Traveler, I have thought the Readers' Letters section to be one of the most helpful parts of the magazine in terms of practical tips and suggestions, although I've always felt it owes so much to the...

Phone home. (Letter Of The Month).(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2001... Having just stayed at the otherwise OK Millennium Hilton in Manhattan, I would like to warn prospective guests--perhaps less gullible than me--about their phone charges. Because I am based in Asia, my regular mobile phone does not work...

Air mail. (Letter Of The Month).(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2001... As an in-charge flight attendant with over 33 years of experience in my career, never have I been so "enraged" as I was by George Gotti's comments in the June issue of Business Traveler. To quote "... on American Airlines... many of the flight...

Bar none. (Letter Of The Month).(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2001... Over the past few months I have noticed an alarming, but probably little noticed, activity that has been appearing on my corporate credit card which all business travelers should be aware of: a post-stay charge appearing for supposed activity...

Cruise control. (Letter Of The Month).(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2001... This is my second year receiving Business Traveler, and I enjoy every issue. I am the international director of an organization based in Middletown, Connecticut. I travel to five to seven countries each year. Your magazine has provided me with...

Mighty fine whine. (Letter Of The Month).(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2001... In a recent edition, you have again ranked airlines by the quality of wine they serve. A ritual you engage in every year. As a lifetime over 2 million-mile traveler, logging about 150,000 miles annually in first and business class...

Amtrak: railroaded out of town? (Trains).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... SAY THE WORD AMTRAK," and you may draw a groan of recognition from business travelers. The "Big Train That Couldn't" would be the most likely title for the story of the railroad that lost more money last year--$944 million--than it has in its...

A new way to Newark. (Airports).(Newark International Airport)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... IF YOU FEEL FAINT when your corporate travel agent tells you your next business trip includes a flight out of Newark Airport, take heart. The Port Authority has just approved a New Jersey Transit Airtrain service with connections from New York...

Mood swings. (Hotels).(services of New York City-based Time Hotel)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... NEW YORK'S Time Hotel has gone back to the '70s for its latest marketing tool--a heat-sensitive mood indicator that lets reception know which color room a guest will be placed in. On check-in, guests put their hand on an enlarged version of a...

On the fly. (Hotels).(Palace of the Lost City Hotel, Sun City, South Africa,)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... NEXT TIME you're doing business in South Africa, consider taking a lesson in business tactics from the birds--birds of prey, that is. Sun City's over-the-top, Raiders of the Lost Ark-like Palace of the Lost City Hotel offers presentations for...

Encore, Concorde. (Airlines).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... WHEN THE CONCORDE TAKES WING again this fall, it will feature new Kevlar rubber fuel tank liners, undercarriage wiring, puncture-resistant tires by Michelin and on British Airways-operated flights, a 14-million-pound renovated interior by Sir...

Last call onboard. (Airlines).(alcoholic beverage services)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... THE NEXT TIME YOU ask your flight attendant for another Bloody Mary, the answer may be a resounding "no." U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein has asked U.S.-based airlines to voluntarily institute a two-drink limit in the air. "In view of the 5,000 `air...

American empire. (Airlines).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... AMERICAN AIRLINES has just announced a proposed alliance with British Airways that will create an extensive worldwide code-sharing network as well as other links between the two airlines. The deal, inked this summer, now goes to the U.S. State...

Silence, please. (Hotels).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... YOU CHECK INTO your hotel, jet lagged and badly in need of sleep. Just as your head hits the pillow, the unmistakable sounds of a honeymoon couple next door filter through the wall. Are you doomed to an unasked for aural porno movie? Not if you...

Singapore Airlines. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Singapore Airlines launched three new weekly flights to Chicago starting August 1. Flights depart Singapore Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and arrive in O'Hare the next day. Singapore-bound flights depart Chicago on Tuesdays, Thursdays and...

Air Canada. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Air Canada is issuing upgrade certificates on certain transborder routes. Booklets containing two certificates cost $70 plus tax at Air Canada airports and city ticket counters in New York, Boston, Chicago, L.A. and several Canadian cities....

US Airways. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... US Airways introduces nonstop round-trip service between La Guardia Airport and Freeport, Grand Bahamas, beginning November 4. Other new routes for the airlines include Philadelphia to Barbados starting November 3, and Charlotte to Aruba...

Icelandair. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Icelandair has canceled flights between Iceland and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The route, which was inaugurated in May 1996, will fly its last on October 25. The cancellation is part of a 5-percent reduction in scheduled international services....

Delta Airlines. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Delta Airlines has just installed new AirShow components on all aircraft, which provide information on departure and arrival gates before landing.

Victorious. (Hotels).(Royal Livingstone, Livingstone, Zambia)(Victoria Falls)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... WHILE POLITICALLY unstable Zimbabwe continues to detract businesspeople, investors and tourists with its well-documented record of human rights transgressions, nearby Zambia is taking up the slack. Zambia boasts similar views of spectacular...

Air Canada. (Reward Roundup).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Through October 16, Aeroplan members will receive double miles for the first round-trip or two one-way segments on ally fare for flights flown between Toronto and Jacksonville when using their membership number. Code R394. Through December...

Continental. (Reward Roundup).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... OnePass members flying on Continental's new, nonstop 777 service from/to New York-Hong Kong will earn 1,000 bonus miles each way on coach and 2,000 bonus miles each way on Business First for flights flown through December 15. For OnePass...

Lufthansa. (Reward Roundup).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Members belonging to Lufthansa's Miles & More program will receive bonus miles for each online booking (Lufthansausa.com) made between September I and October 31. The following miles will be awarded to members once their flights are completed:...

Sabena & Swissair. (Reward Roundup).(American AAdvantage)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... American AAdvantage members flying economy round-trip between September 15 and December 31 on Sabena and Swissair from specified gateways call earn 15,000 bonus miles. To qualify, AAdvantage members must register first by calling 800-882-8880,...

The Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket in Thailand is offering a special package until October 31. (Asia).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... The Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket in Thailand is offering a special package until October 31. At $70 for two people, this package includes two nights' accommodation in a superior deluxe room, a round-trip airport transfer, daily breakfast and...

The Pan Pacific Bangkok's Value Meeting Package is available until December 31. (Asia).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... The Pan Pacific Bangkok's Value Meeting Package is available until December 31. Starting at $115 a night, guests also receive a buffet breakfast, welcome amenities, meeting room access and presentation-related accommodations. Call 800-327-8585...

Travelers to Manhattan should consider the two-night packages on offer at all the New York W Hotels, starting at $239. (United States).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Travelers to Manhattan should consider the two-night packages on offer at all the New York W Hotels, starting at $239. Guests receive two nights' accommodation, entrance to any of the hotel bars, breakfast in bed and free spa or fitness center...

Seventy-four different hotels in Mexico City, ranging from The Best Western Majestic to the Four Seasons, are offering reduced weekend rates until January 13. (Mexico).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Seventy-four different hotels in Mexico City, ranging from The Best Western Majestic to the Four Seasons, are offering reduced weekend rates until January 13. For visitors staying Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights, the price of a standard room...

Leading Hotels of the World is offering global savings on more than 170 hotels until July 1. (Worldwide).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Leading Hotels of the World is offering global savings on more than 170 hotels until July 1. The "One More Night" program allows guests staying for three consecutive nights to stay a fourth night for free. Participating properties include the...

Gandhi meets Survivor. (Hotels).(Mountain Trek Fitness Retreat & Health Spa)(Ainsworth Hot Springs, British Columbia)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Yoga Boot Camp" is one of the newest Survivor-like offerings from the Ainsworth Hot Springs Mountain Trek Fitness Retreat and Health Spa. Located in the Canadian Rockies of southeastern British Columbia, the retreat was founded by Wendy Pope,...

Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines and National Airlines. (Airline Deals).(Round The World Apex fare)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines and National Airlines have joined together to offer a limited time "Round The World Apex" fare in coach at two levels: $1,499 for 24,000 miles and $1,699 for 28,000 miles of travel. The comparable Star...

Asiana Airlines. (Airline Deals).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Asiana Airlines has published an upgrade program for travel agents to offer their clients. Any passenger who purchases a full economy fare from the U.S./Canada or Central America to an Asiana online destination in Asia can be upgraded to...

Delta Airlines. (Airline Deals).(to Bogota, Colombia)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Delta Airlines is offering a 35-percent discount on most round-trip coach fares originating from JFK, La Guardia, Newark, White Plains, Islip and Stewart Airport in Newburgh to Bogota, Columbia. Even the lowest coach fares get a 10-percent...

Cathay Pacific. (Airline Deals).(JFK - Vancouver)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Cathay Pacific, who currently operates a daily nonstop between JFK and Vancouver with three cabin service, is offering the "Transborder Bonus Offer" through American Airlines AAdvantage program. This offer allows you to earn up to 5,000...

Up close and personal. (Reader Offer).(London)(Personal Allies travel agency)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
October 1, 2001... YOUR COMPANY IS SENDING you off to London again for business. However, on this particular trip, in addition to closing that important business deal, you want to enjoy all that London has to offer. You want to see the best sites, shop at the...

Sites for sore eyes. (Websites).(reminder/valet website services)(Product Information)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS Do you carry a Palm Pilot, cell phone, pager and daily planner, and still forget to send that important fax or to meet your client for lunch? And let's not forget the kids' soccer game or feeding the dog. Due to busy...

Basic intelligence. (Travel).(IJet Travel Intelligence - www.ijet.com)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... In the Meg Ryan/Russell Crowe film Proof of Life, Ryan relies on Crowe to bring her architect husband back alive from the hands of local Latin American kidnappers. If the character had subscribed to iJet Travel Intelligence, he would have had...

Silver and gold. (Hotels).(Argent Hotel, San Francisco, California)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Telescopic views of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge are just one of the amenities that business travelers will get on the new "Silver Key" and "Executive" floors of the Argent Hotel. Located on the top four floors of the hotel, the rooms...

New York. (Top Of The Town).
October 1, 2001... RESTAURANTS Lansky's Lounge & Grill 104 Norfolk St. (Rivington and Delancy) tel. 212-677-9489 Look for the illuminated red "L" that marks the secret Norfolk Street entrance, then make your way through a narrow alleyway to get...

The Four Seasons Hotel Prague. (Hotel Check).
October 1, 2001... ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER VLTAVA, and a 20-minute drive from Ruzyne International Airport, the luxurious and newly opened Four Seasons Hotel Prague has brought 21st-century luxury to a city rich with art, culture and history. The hotel is...

Spot check. (Consumer Checks).(price for a glass of white wine at selected restaurants)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... We asked restaurants in cities around the world how much they charged for a glass of house white wine. Here's what we found: The Ivy, London - no house wines by the glass start at $6.38 Olives Boston $7 Abacus,...

Seiyo Ginza Tokyo. (Consumer Checks).
October 1, 2001... THE HOTEL SEIYO GINZA is a Tokyo anomaly--an intimate, low-key boutique hotel with a high-style, high-traffic address. Located right at the end of the Ginza--the city's commercial and retail heartland--and boasting a mere 72 rooms, the Seiyo...

Asiana Business Class. (Flight check: Seoul-New York).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... First Impressions: I arrived late to Seoul's Kimpo International Airport, convinced I would miss my flight. So my relief was great when the friendly attendant breezed me through check-in and directed me to the Asiana Business Class Lounge. ...

High wire act: San Diego is attempting to overtake Silicon Valley as the heart of new technology. But is it a case of California dreaming for San Diego? (HomeFront: San Diego).
October 1, 2001... GO TO SAN DIEGO and the locals will tell you it has the best beaches in California, the best zoo in the country and is the most wired city in the world. Under the sidewalks and malls of downtown San Diego are some 71,000 miles of high-speed...

All you need for a lot less. (On The Road).(business services at Four Points by Sheraton)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Problem: Shrinking Budget In a tightening economy, business executives' corporate expense accounts have been the first thing to shrink. High-dollar car services, expensive bottles of champagne and $500-a-night hotel rooms are no longer as...

Motion sickness: with more than 500 million people crossing international borders daily, globe-trotting execs are more at risk for catching diseases than ever before.
October 1, 2001... RACKED WITH INTENSE MUSCLE ACHES and a 104-degree fever, Catherine Ryan lay immobile in her Los Angeles bed, convinced she was dying. "My muscles felt like they were bound in tight knots," she recalls. "Every muscle fiber felt like it was...

Fresh dimensions: if you think business hotel chains are all the same, think again. (Special Advertising Section).
October 1, 2001... Radisson SAS Hotels E Resorts dares to be different. A chain that teams the traditional with the cutting edge. Matching prime locations and standardized business essentials with innovation and style in a fresh, uncomplicated approach to...

A world of difference: if you think business hotel chains are all the same, think again. (Special Advertising Section).
October 1, 2001... AMSTERDAM--THE NETHERLANDS Radisson SAS Hotel Amsterdam Airport Everything you'd expect from a five star airport hotel--and more. Handsomely equipped standard rooms in Scandinavian, Maritime or Oriental styles; top floor business class...

The world of experiences: if you think business hotel chains are all the same, think again. (Special Advertising Section).
October 1, 2001... The title says it all--another innovative concept in travel launched by Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts. The World of Experiences offers more than 300 thrilling packages in 30 countries in conjunction with a stay at one of the group's...

Four hours in Seoul.(what to do during a layover)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... South Korea's sprawling, traffic-jammed capital gets worse press than it deserves. Although largely a modern creation--most of it was destroyed during the Korean War--there's more to this city of 11 million inhabitants than the freeways and...

Danger signals: are business travelers really safer riding the rails?(railroad accidents and safety)
October 1, 2001... JUNE 3, 1998: The Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) InterCity Express (ICE) 884, traveling from Munich to Hamburg, derails at high speed near the town of Eschede. Passenger cars smash into a railroad bridge, which partially collapses. The toll of...

Newsstand launch.(Business Traveler celebrates)
October 1, 2001... BUSINESS TRAVELER celebrated its newsstand launch with a party aboard the World Yacht Cruise Line in New York City. The steamy hot August night brought a crowd of travel industry professionals and magazine staff to celebrate this momentous...

Into the woods: cabin fever takes on a whole new meaning in the Adirondacks. (Great escape: Lake Placid Lodge).
October 1, 2001... IF YOU'RE YEARNING TO SLIP AWAY from the tangles and stresses of the modern 24/7 workday, you'd be well advised to head for the Adirondacks of New York, the oldest mountain range on the continent. Here, within this vast 6 million-acre,...

Smiling through: India's most Western-orientated city teems with fierce energy and ambition, and you'll rarely see a long face ... (Destination report: Mumbai (Bombay)).
October 1, 2001... A FRIEND WHO LIVES in New York but often travels to Bombay says "The Big Apple's fun, but Bombay knocks spots off it. Talk about `The wow factor'--it must be the least boring city on earth." If India is on the move, Bombay--or Mumbai, a...

Thai Airways makes another smooth transition. (Special Advertising Section).
October 1, 2001... THAI AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL announces the assignment of Mr. Chalermkait Suvanamas from the Los Angeles office as General Manager, the Americas to THAI's head office in Bangkok. Mr. Suvanamas will assume the position as Department Manager, Office...

Luxe life: Luxembourg has grown fat and happy thanks to its banking secrecy and tax laws. But fears about the effect of the single European market on its banking sector are encouraging economic diversification within this affluent city. (Focus: Luxembourg).
October 1, 2001... AMERICANS ARE VERY POPULAR in Luxembourg. In cafes, restaurants and bars, locals respond to U.S. citizens with enthusiasm and affection. In some of the most ferocious fighting of World War II (in Luxembourg's Ardennes region), it was the...

Denver International Airport. (Special Advertising Section).
October 1, 2001... WHAT'S THIS? An airport preferred by pilots and passengers? Just six years old and already considered one of the best airports in the world, Denver International Airport is the most technologically advanced and reliable airport in the...

Singapore zings: although still recovering from the economic downturn of the late '70s, Singapore is sparking new interest among international visitors. Thanks to its new liberal environment, the cultural, intellectual and social life of this island-nation is blossoming. (Insider's guide: Singapore).
October 1, 2001... IN A TRENDY BEAUTY SALON along Orchard Road, Cosmopolitan magazine is part of the generous reading fare provided to customers, along with local staples Her World and Female. At the popular nightspot on Scotts Road, Venom, patrons recall a...

Africa's big business. (Special Advertising Section).
October 1, 2001... FROM THE CROWDED SOUKS of Morocco to the wide-open plains of Kenya, Africa is a continent of contrasts. Consisting of more than 50 independent nations spread out over 11.7 million square miles, Africa is the second largest continent in the...

Offer of the month: save in London, courtesy of Starwood hotels and resorts. (Hotels).(advertisement)
October 1, 2001... THE SHERATON PARK TOWER is a member of The Luxury Collection, an assembly of Starwood's renowned hotels and resorts worldwide. Located in the heart of Knightsbridge, just moments from Hyde Park and some of the finest shops in the world, the...

Savings and upgrades: compliments of Fairmont hotels and resorts. (Hotels).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Perched among many of Ottawa's famous sights and attractions, Fairmont Chateau Laurier's breathtaking setting and commanding presence are unrivaled. For travelers visiting the nation's capital, Fairmont Chateau Laurier offers luxury...