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Attention Amex Cardholders In the US & UK: Prices Drop Every 20 Minutes on Luxury Vacation Packages; You Bid When Price Is Right

OK, here's the deal American Express is offering its cardholders in the US and UK every weekday from April 17-April 27: Each day at 11 a.m. Eastern time, Amex will post on line a five-star travel package to destinations such as Florence, South Africa, and Antarctica.  Every 20 minutes, the price of those packages will decline by an unspecified amount--Amex is keeping that a secret.  When you think the price is right, you can buy the package with a few clicks on your computer keyboard. 

Unlike some sites that sell or auction last-minute travel packages, this offer has a nice twist: You have at least six months, or in some cases, up to 12 months, to choose the time you want to travel.  You must use an American Express card to make your purchase should you win a package.

This is not the first time Amex has held a "declining price" auction, and previous ones have sold out before a package is removed from sale at 7 p.m. Eastern time each day. The good news is, there is more than one of each package trip available, so there can be several winners of each package.  Amex estimates winning bidders at last year's "Going Once" auction realized an average savings of 37% compared to retail prices.   

Beginning next week, on April 2, Amex will also post for viewing a limited supply of fixed-price travel packages at cardmember-only prices, all priced below $3,000. You can begin purchasing them on April 17, and they'll remain available until they're sold out or April 30, whichever comes first.  Details also available on the "Going Once" website.

Except for the interesting package vacation involving a luxurious recreational vehicle, all the packages in the declining-price auction are for two people traveling together and include airfare from the US or UK. Here are a few examples of what will be available:

• For adventure: A 12-night voyage around Antarctica with expert guides and lecturers.  The winner of this package will be flown from New York (other departure cities are available) to Santiago, where you'll spend a day and a night.  Then on to Ushuaia where you'll board your ship--you'll have an upper deck, outside cabin.  Starting price: $13,198.
• For R&R: A seven-night trip for two to the West Indies island of Canouan.  Included: Round-trip airfare from Miami or Gatwick and seven nights at Raffles Resort in a junior suite with an ocean view.  Starting price for US travelers: $7,740.
• For a safari: Airfare to Capetown, South Africa, from London's Heathrow or New York's JFK airport on South African Airways.  Spend four nights at the Table Bay Hotel right on Capetown's waterfront.  Take a tour of the nearby gorgeous wine country and tarry over lunch at a wine estate.  Then spend three nights tracking game in a Range Rover at the Idube Private Game Reserve in Kruger park. Return via Johannesburg.  Starting price is $7,985 for US-based travelers; retail price is $12,400.
• See the USA: The most unusual package is the use of an ultra-luxurious recreational vehicle fit for a rock star with four bedrooms and flat-screen TVs.  You'll receive $500 in gas money and a $250 credit for groceries.  Then the two of you and six of your best friends will have nine nights to travel anywhere around the US your heart desires.  Oh, and you can pick up and drop off the RV almost wherever you want when your trip is over--you don't have to return it to your starting point.  Beginning price: $14,257.
• Other packages include trips to Orlando, the Greek islands, Florence, Hong Kong, and the Riviera Maya.   

 

One Out of Every Four Americans Has a Passport, And That's a Shame

One of the most difficult statistics to pin down is this: How many Americans have passports?  The State Department is never sure--I know because I've spent hours trying to get that number out of the passport office.  It's difficult to measure, since passports expire, people expire, and the population is always changing. 

But the best estimate is that about a quarter of all Americans at any given time have a valid passport.  That number may be going up even as I write, since new rules now require all US citizens wishing to fly between the US and Canada, Mexico and the Caribean have a valid passport in order to return to the country. 

In a recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, staff writer Jon Tevlin laments this small percentage of passport holders and compares our numbers to other countries.  In Germany, 90 per cent of citizens have passports.  In Canada, it's 40 per cent.  In Great Britian, 64 per cent. 

I could fill this blog with the excuses I've heard from Americans who tell me why they see no reason to ever leave these 50 states.  In my opinion, they're mostly bogus reasons that reveal a basic insecurity--too many Americans are afraid to go to a country where a different language is spoken, there are different customs, the food is different, and maybe the entire country drives on the wrong side of the road. 

In his article, Jon touches on some of those points and offers his own story of how his life changed as a result of his first trip abroad.  It's short, it's amusing, and it's right on.  Check it out.   

Where Can You Park For a Penny a Day In Chicago?

Answer: The Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers between March 29th and April 7th.  The deal is to celebrate the hotel's 15th birthday.  That's a savings of $39 a day, by the way.

I have complicated feelings about this hotel.  First of all, it's got a great location and great views from many of the rooms.  And I've scored some great deals there, especially in January, when the entire world isn't necessarily beating a path to Chicago to experience the city's winter weather.

But this is also the hotel that once sold my confirmed-and-paid-for-because-I-was-arriving-early-in-the-morning room when I didn't show up 'til 5 a.m. 

Several years ago, I had a luncheon speech to deliver at the hotel to a convention of owners of bed and breakfasts from around the country.  I had to take a red-eye flight  from Los Angeles to make the date, and I knew I'd want a few hours sleep after landing at O'Hare very, very early in the morning.  So I bought a room for that night before my speech and reserved it with the notation I might not be in until dawn.  Even called from Los Angeles before takeoff to make sure my room was there and that the front desk knew I wouldn't be landing 'til early morning.

When I showed up at the desk after 5 a.m., I found the hotel had sold my room to someone else.  Now there's nice work if you can get it: Sell a hotel room twice in the same night.  To management's credit, staff moved a cot into a ballroom that wasn't being used and set up an alarm clock on the floor next to me.  Now, sleeping in a cavernous ballroom is a bit weird, but I was so tired, I didn't care. 

Bit I digress: The point of this posting is that parking overnight at a big-city hotel can be very expensive.  If the upcoming dates coincide with a planned visit to Chicago, well, if you're driving a car, keep that $38.99 in your pocket by choosing the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers.  As I learned, they can always find a room for you there.

Oh, and there's more: According to the "special deals" part of the hotel's website, there are a limited number of rooms on offer for $129 the first week of April.  Most excellent.   

Virgin America Finally Gets A Break: Airline May Fly By Summer

The Transportation Department gave a partial green light today to the start up of Virgin Atlantic, the San Francisco-based, discount airline that has been trying to fly for more than a year now.  In December,  Washington regulators, helped along by pressure from American, Continental and Delta Air Lines, decreed that Virgin Atlantic didn't comply with federal regulations regarding the ownership of US airlines by foreigners.

Virgin Atlantic, of course, is Richard Branson's London-based airline, but he said he and his overseas companies did not exceed the ownership cap of 25 per cent in Virgin America.  Still, Virgin America made some concessions, issuing more stock, shedding three board members associated with Branson's Virgin Group, and--for reasons not quite clear to me--expressing a willingness to fire CEO Fred Reid, an American.

Virgin America's web site tonight says the airline hopes to begin flying to New York City by mid-summer, with flights to DC, Las Vegas, and San Diego beginning within nine months after the airline's inaugural flight.  Virgin America will be the first major discount airline to serve San Francisco's major airport (Southwest flies in and out of nearby Oakland), so expect fares on the new airline's competitors to drop the day Virgin Atlantic begins service. 

Better-Designed Airport Bathrooms--And Idea Whose Time Is Now

A big thumbs up to the thinkers at the Raleigh-Durham airport who plan to redesign bathrooms in at least one terminal (that would be the C terminal, home to American, United Express and Air Canada) with bathrooms that acknowledge most travelers now travel with carry-on luggage.

Stalls will be wider and longer so you don't have to park your bags in the open area of the lavatory and hope no one takes them.  Tilted mirrors will be placed above the urinals so men can keep an eye on computer cases even as they're going about their business.  And restrooms will be brighter thanks to floor-to-ceiling translucent glass, allowing soft, natural light.  Construction will be completed next year.

Some of the best design follows function, but it's amazing how few airports are designed with the traveler in mind.  There are too few workstations in public areas.  Too few horizontal resting places where travelers can set things down while accessing an ATM , phone, or bathroom sink.  Charging stations for cell phones and PDAs are too few and far between.  And don't get me started about airports that charge a fee for Wi-Fi.  (My tip is, hang around outside an airline's members-only lounge, and you should be able to piggyback on the free Wi-Fi often offered inside.)

Other airports--please copy Raleigh-Durham's lead on this, won't you? 

Don't Get Sick On the Road! Here Are My Basic, Best Tips

As spring break season begins and families begin making plans for summer travel, don't forget to protect yourself when you hit the road.

My tips:

• Diarrhea is the traveler's most common malady.  Take medication with you to address that should you come down with it.
• If you already have health issues, know before you go how to deal with it in new places.  Know where to find medical assistance on the road.  Be sure you take your medication in your carry-on luggage.  Make sure all prescriptions are well marked.  A doctor's declaration stating the medication your on is a good idea, especially if you're traveling abroad.  It can help with customs.
• Wash your hands frequently.  And well.
• If you have a specific affliction, such as diabetes, know how to express your needs in the language of the country you're visiting.  Diabetes patients should visit a handy web site that will provide a doctor's declaration form, a phrase book with key words in different languages, and other important tips.
• Make sure you have medical evacuation insurance.  Your premium credit card will generally only provide cab fare to the nearest hospital.  Several companies, however, will provide a medically equipped private jet to pick you up anywhere in the world (if you're away from home) should you require hospitalization; you'll be flown to the hospital of your choice.  You can purchase a protection plan for an individual or family for as little as seven days or as long as a year.  My television crew, as well as I and my family, use MedjetAssist.com.  Mention the promotion code "MAXA" if you call MedjetAssist (800-5-ASSIST) and save $10 on an individual annual membership, $20 on a family annual membership.  You'll also find those savings built into the link to the company's web site as above. 

Don't Try This Relaxation Technique At Home, Kids!

Security officials at Los Angeles International Airport last Tuesday thought there was something suspicious about Fadhel Al-Maliki, a 35-year-old Iraqi who lives in Atlantic City, NJ.  So they selected him for secondary screening.  Al-Maliki then volunteered to TSA agents that he thought he knew what might have set off the metal detector when he passed through it.

He then removed a rock, chewing gum and thin wire filament from his rectum.  He told investigators the objects he'd placed inside himself were used to alleviate stress.

Airport police briefly blocked roads leading to the airport, and the flight to Philadelphia that Al-Maliki did not board was diverted to Las Vegas because Al-Maliki's bag was in the cargo hold of that flight.  And while authorties said the piece of luggage had been screened, they wanted to make absolutely certain.

Investigators ruled out an early theory that Al-Maliki, who said he'd worked as a security guard, was testing security, looking for weaknesses in the passenger screening process.  And though he was arrested on suspicion of possessing a destructive device, those charges were quickly dropped.  However, federal officials are reviewing his immigration status because information on his green card may have been out of date.

And so, at least for March, Fadhel Al-Maliki wins this blogger's award for having the most ridiculous carry-on items on his person.  Wanna relax?  How about an iPod with club music, next time, sir? 

Lost Your Luggage? You May Be Able To Find It In . . . Alabama

Every wonder where the stuff airlines lose winds up?  I'm not talking about the bags that go astray and are eventually reunited with their owners, as most missing bags are.  I'm talking about the bags that disappear into the great luggage carousel in the sky.

Well, a lot of the stuff in those bags winds up in Scottsboro, Alabama, at the Unclaimed Baggage Center, where airlines send bags (and their contents) they can't match with owners.  There, at a retail store on West Willow Street, you can rummage through the belongings of other people and buy stuff at prices way off retail.  If you don't happen to live in Alabama, you can go on line and buy, too.  Want a five-megapixel, Panasonic Lumix digital camera?  As I write, there's one on offer on line for $120.  In fact, the Unclaimed Baggage Center (which is NOT owned by the airlines) has everything from expensive jewelry and watches to cheap shoes.  There are designer jeans and jackets from Vera Wang and other recognizable names.  There are golf clubs and fishing rods.  In fact, if it's something folks check as luggage, you're likely to find it here.

On March 17th, the Unclaimed Baggage Center is holding what it calls a "spring fling," promising "a large slection of newly stocked inventory."  The store recommends showing up early (in person or on line) to get the best selection.  Hey--maybe you'll even find something you once lost. 

Official Cherry Blossom Dates Picked: Book Now Or Forget About It

The chief horticulturalist of the National Park Service decreed today that the famous cherry blossom trees in the nation's capital will be at their peak, blossom-wise, April 1-7.  That's when 70% of the trees that ring the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial should be in bloom.

If you're thinking of visiting from out of town, now would be a good time to book a hotel room, as that's prime tourist time.  The actual festival will be held from March 31 through April 15, with parades and other assorted events that celebrate the gift of the cherry trees to the US from Japan 95 years ago.  Take it from someone who lived in DC for more than 35 years--don't miss the spectacle at night, when searchlights sweep the trees from across the water.  Magical.

US Airways' Woes Spread--Travelers Beware

US Airways' computer problems have not yet been solved as of Monday morning.  Check with the carrier if you have a ticket on a flight today.  Or tomorrow.  Lines have spread west as far as Las Vegas.  Here's the scene at Charlotte's airport as captured by a Charlotte Observer photographer.

Here We Go Again: It's US Airways' Turn In the Barrel Today

US Airways didn't tell passengers that today was C-Day--the day the airline began switching its entire Sabre-based computer reservations system over to a new platform in order to conform to America West's reservations system.

And now it's pandemonium time at US Airways' Charlotte hub.  And things aren't much better at other East Coast airports, including Philadelphia and Boston.  Not that you'd know anything was particularly amiss if you were checking in for a flight right now on US Airways' web site.  There's only a mention of a travel advisory warning passengers of long lines "due to heavy passenger volume."  I just checked my calendar, and, nope, it's not Thanksgiving or even Memorial Weekend.  There's no unusually heavy passenger volume today--there are unusual computer problems today.

The Charlotte Observer reports that check-in kiosks didn't work this morning at the local airport, and that long lines snaked through the airport as passengers missed departure times by at least two hours.  Some passengers due to depart this morning have been re-booked for evening flights, but the airline is advising passengers to "go home."

What can you do if you hold a US Airways ticket for travel tomorrow or this week?  Watch closely what happens tomorrow morning--if the IT guys haven't fixed the system, it's going to be one very long week for US Airways and its passengers.  And check US Airways' web site.  Maybe someday soon, airlines will figure out that with newspaper web sites like the Charlotte Observer's operating 24/7 and the proliferation of blogs that focus on the airline industry, blaming "heavy passenger load" on their own failings just doesn't cut it anymore.

OK, So Now That You Know To Avoid That Hotel Ice Bucket . . .

Now that I've left you in mortal fear of that ice bucket in your hotel room, here are a couple of other interesting stats for the germaphobe traveler, of which I have a hunch there are many.

• A University of Virginia study wanted to learn if viruses could survive for more than four days on hotel room surfaces.  So researchers had 15 people with colds stay overnight in different hotel rooms.  Then they tested the rooms' surfaces . . . and found about one-third of the objects in the room were contaminated with rhinoviruses.  Cold viruses were found on about half of all door handles, light switches, TV remotes, phones and faucets.  Other cuprits: shower curtains, coffeemakers and alarm clocks. 
• From a report in the International Journal of Environmental Health Research last June comes news of another study.  Researchers gathered 1,061 surface samples and analyzed them from 1999 to 2003 looking for the presence of biomarkers including alpha-amylase (indicating mucus, saliva, sweat and urine), hemoglobin (blood marker), and urea (urine marker).  Playground equipment was the leading culprit of the places checked, testing postive for one or more of those markers in 44% of all cases.  In descending order, these other public places fared thusly: Bus armrests and rails (35%), public restroom surfaces (25%), shopping card handles (21%), chair armrests (21%), escalator handrails (19%), customer-shared pens (16%), vending machine buttons (14%), public phones (13%), and elevator buttons  (10%).

Checking into a hotel and nervous?  Bring along your sanitizing wipes.  And don't forget that remote control for the television.

Let My People Go! AA Opens First Class Lavatory To the Rest Of Us

American Airlines' domestic coach passengers are now free to move about the cabin to use lavatories in the first class section of the plane.  Interesting that AA claimed security considerations after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, led them to restrict access to first-class passengers only. 

In fact, federal security regulations only mandated first-class passengers use the front lavatories on flights en route to the US.  The idea was to avoid a clot of people standing around the cockpit door.  American was the only domestic carrier to enforce that rule on domestic flights, so it's interesting to see AA's PR spin suggesting the airline is now doing its passengers a favor unlike, say, its competitors.  (Though I do notice flight attendants on many different airlines don't look kindly on coach passengers using lavatories in the business or first-class sections of planes.  Some kind of territorial snobbery, I think.) 

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram obtained the memo announcing the rule change on American.  On your typical Boeing 757, there are two lavatories in first class, which has 22 seats, and two in coach, which can have as many as 160 seats. 

Note: Transportation Security Administration rules still mandate that passengers flying into the US must must use lavatories in their respective cabins.

Take a Breath: Puerto Rico Goes Smoke-Free (Mainly) Tomorrow

Not only don't US citizens need a passport to visit Puerto Rico, but a new, anti-smoking ban goes into affect tomorrow, making the destination even more attractive to visitors.  The ban isn't one of those annoying ones with much wriggle room, I'm happy to report.  It will prohibit smoking at all food establishments, cultural centers (museums and theaters), casinos, bars and nightclubs, shopping centers and other retail stores, convention and recreation centers, public and government buildings, courts, schools, retirement homes, hospitals, public transportation vehicles, funeral homes and--get this one--PRIVATE vehicles in which a child under 13 years of age is a passenger.

Terrific, and thumbs up to Puerto Rico for having the courage to take this step. 

Exclusions to the ban are hotel rooms designated as smoking rooms and businesses that sell exclusively tobacco products.