Business Traveler articles from September 2001

Business Traveler archives from September 2001

Editor's letter.
September 1, 2001... It's a rare executive who hasn't been starved for company on the road at some point. Mubarak Dahir spoke to business travelers throughout the United States and discovered that strategies for coping with that loneliness encompass a broad...

Pound foolish. (Letter Of The Month).
September 1, 2001... It seems hard to believe, but I think hotel service may have deteriorated beneath the airlines. I apologize for the length of this missive, but I have never quite gone through an experience like this one with Hilton Hotels, and I wanted to...

First things first. (Readers' Letters).
September 1, 2001... Jason Williams' letter "Cheap Shots" in the June issue of Business Traveler had me rolling on the floor laughing... for a moment. But then I began to read what he was saying. Please understand that my point of view for this is based on being...

Love letter. (Readers' Letters).
September 1, 2001... I no longer do a lot of "road warrior" traveling, but love the magazine! I'd like to see more of the airline spot checks--and even the hotel checks--and more of the special deals or the unusual things airlines are offering, which are the...

Fight or flight. (Readers' Letters).
September 1, 2001... About George Gotti's letter in the June issue of Business Traveler: I think his comments are sexist and grossly shocking to female flight attendants. All flight attendants are not even females, and secondly, most of us are in better shape...

Damage control. (Readers' Letters).
September 1, 2001... I enjoy reading your letters, and for the most part can relate to many of them, but I have to comment on Don Lewis' "Hell on Wheels" in the May issue. I'm not in the auto repair business, but if you read the description of the damage that he...

Won't be fueled again. (Readers' Letters).
September 1, 2001... Regarding Dave Roberts' "Gas Fumes" letter in the June issue of Business Traveler, I also have had a gas overcharge experience with a Hertz rental. At the end of a rental from LAX in February of this year, I refilled at a gas station less...

Front Porches. (Hotels).(new hotel in North Adams, Massachusetts)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... WHEN THE MASSACHUSETTS Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCa) opened its doors in 1999, it breathed new life into the old textile town of North Adams. The town, situated on the historic "Mohawk Scenic Trail," had been in decline since the...

Toto, too. (Hotels).(Interlaken Inn, Lakeville, Connecticut, allows pets)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... NEXT TIME YOU plan a corporate retreat, think about allowing your guests to bring along their pets. Fido and Socks will be given the red-carpet VIP treatment at the Interlaken Inn in the Berkshires. The New England resort has created the...

Closer. (Air Traffic).(changes to air traffic allowances and other plans of the Federal Aviation Administration)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... IF THE FAA has its way, the skies might get a bit cozier. In an effort to ease massive delays, the agency has proposed a decade-long overhaul of air traffic, making allowances for planes to fly closer together than the currently allowed 2,000...

No deal. (Airlines).(United's purchase of US Airways voided due to antitrust laws)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... IN THE "don't count your chickens before they hatch" department, United Airlines announced in May that the Justice Department red lighted a proposed $4.3 billion purchase of US Airways. The deal, which would have made United the largest air...

Still flying. (Airlines).(National Airlines)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... RUMORS OF NATIONAL AIRLINES' DEMISE seem to have been greatly exaggerated. The Las Vegas-hubbed airline declared Chapter 11 last December, but since then has logged a 99.5 flight completion factor, better than many airlines whose coffers are...

Alone at the pole. (Airlines).(new service by Cathay Pacific)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... CATHAY PACIFIC IS PLANNING the launch of a new nonstop service from New York's JFK to Hong Kong, in addition to its daily JFK to Hong Kong via Vancouver flight. Although an actual launch date has not been announced, the new nonstop service will...

Hunting the dodo. (Hotels).(Oberoi Mauritius hotel, Point aux Piments, Mauritius)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... MAURITIUS IS PERHAPS BEST KNOWN as the last home of the long extinct dodo bird. Before the Dutch hunted it to eradication, it flourished on the lush island that lies off the coast of East Africa, close to Madagascar and the Seychelles. Now...

Royal Princess Hotels and Resorts is offering slashed rates at its 10 Thailand properties until September 30. (Asia).
September 1, 2001... Royal Princess Hotels and Resorts is offering slashed rates at its 10 Thailand properties until September 30. A deluxe room starts at $80 a night and includes breakfast for two people. Other properties belonging to the Dusit Hotel chain--the...

The Regent Bangkok is a good choice for frugal travelers until the end of the year. (Asia).(special price at Thailand hotel)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... The Regent Bangkok is a good choice for frugal travelers until the end of the year. Guests can take advantage of rates starting at $188 for the first night and $168 each additional night. Several amenities, such as limousine transfer to and...

Le Meridien Hotels is offering two-for-one rates on weekend stays for two at properties in Boston, Dallas, New York, New Orleans, Toronto, Chicago and Beverly Hills. (Worldwide).(hotel chain)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Le Meridien Hotels is offering two-for-one rates on weekend stays for two at properties in Boston, Dallas, New York, New Orleans, Toronto, Chicago and Beverly Hills. Additionally, four-day stays anytime during the week are up to 50 percent off...

Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu's summer package is available until October 31 and starts at $499 a person. (Canada).(Quebec, Quebec, hotel)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... The Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu's summer package is available until October 31 and starts at $499 a person. Guests taking advantage of this Quebec hotel's deal will receive accommodations for three nights, a rental car and round-trip airfare...

Brazil's Sheraton Rio is offering rates of $175 a night until December 31. (South America).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Brazil's Sheraton Rio is offering rates of $175 a night until December 31. This package includes river-view accommodations with a private balcony and breakfast for two. www.starwood.com or call 55 21 274-1122.

Millennium Hotels is offering slashed rates on London and Paris properties until March 31, 2002. (Europe).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Millennium Hotels is offering slashed rates on London and Paris properties until March 31, 2002. Guests staying at the Copthorne Tara London, Millennium Balley's London, Millennium Gloucester, Millennium Knightsbridge, Millennium Mayfair or the...

Sydney. (Cities).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... AFTER GIVING the world the Greatest Show on Earth at last year's Olympics, Sydney continues to be a year-round showpiece city. BT goes down under for a bite-sized sampling of Sydney's hottest new acts: Fancy emu, crocodile or kangaroo for...

After recovering from a brief pilot's strike, Korean Air will increase flights on 11 international routes during the summer. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... * After recovering from a brief pilot's strike, Korean Air will increase flights on 11 international routes during the summer. Flights to San Francisco will increase from six to seven times a week, starting June 1. Flights on Seoul-Sao Paulo...

Delta Air Lines. (Flight Log).(triple mileage program by the airline on its trips to Cairo and the Emirates)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... * Delta Air Lines is offering triple miles for BusinessElite class on its JFK/Cairo-Egypt-Dubai routes until September 16. There are now three flights a week out of NY to these destinations.

US Airways has opened a new First and Envoy Class arrivals lounge at London's Gatwick Airport. (Flight Log).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... * US Airways has opened a new First and Envoy Class arrivals lounge at London's Gatwick Airport. The new lounge offers workstations with telephones, data ports, fax machines and paper shredders. Showers include plush towels and Bulgari...

Fit to go. (Reader Offer).
September 1, 2001... IT'S A GIVEN that most road warriors don't have the best eating habits, with the temptation to order room service, dine out nightly at new restaurants and down fast food in airports. Dr. Joanne Lichten, a former professor of nutrition and...

Revolutionary Orbitz. (Websites).(planning your trip on the net)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... WATCH OUT EXPEDIA and Travelocity, here comes Orbitz, the new travel Web site owned by the big five airlines: Delta, United, American, Northwest and Continental. Orbitz took off in June in a storm of publicity both good and bad. Easy access to...

Flight of the Monarch. (Hotels).(St. Regis Monarch Beach )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... STAY AT THE NEW St. Regis Monarch Beach by the Pacific Ocean in Orange Beach, California, and you'll have to check your democratic ideals at the door and wallow in unabashed luxury. The only St. Regis seaside resort, the Monarch Beach opens in...

Air France. (Reward Roundup).(Frequence Plus, mileage program)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Anyone joining Air mileage program, Frequence Plus, will receive 3,000 bonus miles provided the individual completes one flight segment within six months of signing up for the program. MEP

United Airlines. (Reward Roundup).(double miles for its customers every time they rent a Hertz car online)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... United targets customers flying 25,000 or more paid, qualifying miles within a year with new incentives. Qualifying members will belong to Mileage Plus Premier Members and receive benefits such as a premier mileage bonus of 25 percent on all...

US Airways. (Reward Roundup).(airline expands its Dividend Miles program)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... US AIRWAYS extends its Dividend Miles bonus program for online bookings through Dec. 3. To encourage online booking, Dividend Miles members purchasing tickets online through usairways.com earn an additional 1,000 miles for each round-trip...

Continental Airlines. (Airline Deals).(airline expands the American Express Platinum)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... CONTINENTAL AIRLINES has expanded their American Express Platinum 2-for-1 program to include their Caribbean destinations of Antigua, Aruba, Aguadilla (PR) and San Juan, Grand Cayman Island, Nassau, Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo, St. Maarten and...

Oneworld carriers. (Airline Deals).(Visit Asia fare)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... ONEWORLD CARRIERS, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, British Airways and Finnair offer the "Visit Asia" fare. This is a multi-coupon airpass for coach travel that must be issued in conjunction with round-trip travel to or via Asia on any Oneworld...

Airtran Airways. (Airline Deals).(airline offers lower fares for its business class)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... AIRTRAN AIRWAYS offers "Business Fares" (the forward most cabin) at only $25 above normal coach ("Y" inventory) for single flights and $40 for connections. This promotion is set to expire on December 31. In some select markets like La Guardia...

Air Tahiti Nui. (Airline Deals).(airline offers free companion ticket to its customers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... AIR TAHITI NUI is offering a free companion ticket in business class with the purchase of a full business fare of $4,217 round-trip from Los Angeles to Papeete. Tickets must be purchased within 14 days after the booking is made. Travel must be...

Top of the town.(restaurants)(Brief Article)(Directory)
September 1, 2001... New York RESTAURANTS Ilo, Bryant Park Hotel 40 W. 40th St. tel. 212-642-2255 Ilo means "joyous state of being" in Finnish. It's no exaggeration to say that the fare here is sexily serendipitous, eliciting groans of pleasure...

Hotel Sacher: Vienna. (Hotel Check).
September 1, 2001... FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, the Hotel Sacher has hosted crowned heads and celebrities alike, from Queen Elizabeth to President Kennedy to Nelson Mandela to Zsa Zsa Gabor, and has been the setting for as many movies as historical meetings. If you...

Sonesta Hotel: Cairo. (Hotel Check).
September 1, 2001... THE SONESTA HOTEL IS LOCATED in the Cairo suburb of Heliopolis, a relatively posh part of the city where the president and most of his ministers live. However, more important to the business traveler is the hotel's proximity to the...

British Airways World Traveler Plus. (Flight check: Toronto-London).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... First Impressions: At Toronto's Pearson Airport, there was no separate check-in for World Traveler Plus passengers, so I joined the long, snail-paced queue at the Economy counter. I requested an aisle seat, and the unsmiling ticket clerk...

Spot check. (Consumer Checks).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... We asked hotels around the world what they charge guests for making an in-room toll-free phone call Here's what we found: Soho Grand Hotel, NYC free of charge The Beverly Hilton, Los Angeles, CA ...

New heights: with crime on the decline, tourism on the rise and a new push to pump up international business, North America's top manufacturing city gears up to take on the world. (HomeFront: Chicago).
September 1, 2001... AS THE TRAVELER APPROACHES Chicago, it emerges from the shore of Lake Michigan in a vision of mirrored glass and soaring steel. The skyline features many legendary buildings, including the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere, the Sears...

A world of difference: if you think business hotel chains are all the same, think again. (Special Advertising Section).(Brief Article)(Directory)
September 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...

Fresh dimensions: if you think business hotel chains are all the same, think again. (Special Advertising Section).(Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Radisson SAS Hotels & 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...

The world of experiences: if you think business hotel chains are all the same, think again. (Special Advertising Section).(Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts)(Brief Article)
September 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...

Sex and the cities: it's no secret that business travelers get lonely on the road. Business Traveler spoke to some couples who travel together to respark romance, and also uncovered some cautionary tales of casual sex.(Cover Story)
September 1, 2001... Marika Flatt, a book publicist in Austin, Texas, is on the road once a month, for about a week at a time. Like a lot of business travelers, Marika's work schedule means she spends quite a few nights away from home--and away from her husband....

Some like it hot: Hubert de Santana discovers the sublime delights of Japanese hot spring bathing. (Great escape: Echigo Yuzawa).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... THE HOT SPRING RESORT of Echigo Yuzawa has been popular in Japan for 800 years; but outside the country, it remained a well-kept secret until the Nobel laureate Yasunari Kawabata used it as the setting for his novel Snow Country. Echigo Yuzawa...

Minding your business. (business class survey).(airline services)
September 1, 2001... THE REAL BATTLE FOR BUSINESS CLASS customers is not in the air," says Gus Whitcomb, director of public relations for American Airlines. "It's on the ground. We are finding that passengers care more about getting through the airport experience...

American Express celebrates ten rewarding years. (Special Advertising Section).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Since its introduction in 1991, the Membership Rewards[R] program has grown to become the largest program of its kind, earning it Business Traveler's Best Credit Card Rewards Program for five consecutive years JOIN THE AWARD-WINNING...

Bounce back: civil war and earthquakes have tested El Salvador's resilience, but the country must now wrestle with the outside world's perceptions to attract overseas investment. (Focus: San Salvador).
September 1, 2001... AFTER TWO DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKES and more than 7,000 aftershocks, you wouldn't blame the people of El Salvador if they were feeling wholly despondent about life. It doesn't seem right that a country which hasn't long come out of a...

Four hours in Copenhagen.(Copenhagen, Denmark)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... Copenhagen is one of Europe's most pedestrian and cyclist-friendly capitals. Consequently the streets are almost empty of motorized traffic, and a mellow atmosphere prevails. Swarms of families are out on bikes, with parents pulling smaller...

Denver International Airport. (Special Advertising Section).(Brief Article)
September 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...

Plain division: thanks in large part to Montreal's new growth industries, Quebec's GDP is shooting up. However, traditional economies are slowing down, and the creation of an independent Quebec is still a bone of contention. (Destination report: Montreal).
September 1, 2001... ARRIVING AT Dorval International Airport and heading for one of the big hotels in the high-rise, modern downtown Montreal, you could be in any city in North America. But when you are greeted with a smiling "bonjour" from the doorman, you're...

Korea now. (Special Advertising Section).
September 1, 2001... KOREA IS BURSTING WITH ENERGY, leading the world into the 21st century while preserving its past. You'll find breathtaking wonders and a rich tradition and culture. Major events, high-tech meeting space and a new international airport are...

The great debate. (Special Advertising Section).(aircraft industry)(Industry Overview)
September 1, 2001... ENGINE/FLEET You don't buy a BMW just because. You have a reason, whatever it might be: It's fast, it handles well, etc. You compare it to a Cadillac and a Mercedes, and decide it's the best for you. Airlines do the same thing with...

Where the marks are: often dismissed as one of Europe's least sexy cities, Frankfurt is scrambling to keep up with a skyrocketing need for office space as impending tax changes draw financial services companies in droves. (Insider's guide: Frankfurt).(Frankfurt, Germany)
September 1, 2001... IT DOESN'T SAY MUCH ABOUT A CITY when its most redeeming feature is its ideal location to get to other places. But ask anyone in Frankfurt to describe what's good about living there, and high up on the list will be the ease of escaping to the...

Offer of the month: exclusive savings from Metropolitan Hotels. (Hotels).(in Canada)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... METROPOLITAN HOTELS ARE EXQUISITE refuges in both Toronto's and Vancouver's finance, shopping and entertainment core. Two of these properties--both members of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide--are pleased to offer special rates and...

St. Regis Los Angeles Hotel and Spa. (Hotels).(Los Angeles, California, hotel opens after remodel)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... AFTER UNDERGOING A $40 MILLION RENOVATION, the St. Regis Los Angeles Hotel & Spa officially opened its doors in the heart of the world's entertainment capital last November and offers travelers a new, world-class destination on the edge of...

Fairmont Miramar Hotel. (Hotels).(hotel in Santa Monica, California remodeled)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... The Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica has recently completed a $16 million renovation. This landmark property has combined its historical past with contemporary sophistication, successfully capturing the essence of a West Coast resort...

Sir Stamford at Circular Quay, Sydney Australia. (Privilege Club).(special rate)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2001... EXPERIENCE THE NUMBER ONE HOTEL IN AUSTRALIA (in the Conde Nast Traveler Gold List for 2001), overlooking beautiful Sydney Harbour. Sir Stamford's is a boutique hotel that has an old-world European charm with original 19th-century oil...